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■^■^iN 







A NEW SYSTEM 



BeeKeeping; 

Adapted to the Habits and Characteristics of the 

HONEY-BEE: 

WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF, AND DIRECTIONS FOR 

MANAGING BEES IN THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 



EMBRACING ALSO 

Improved Methods of Artificial Swarming, whereby the business 

of Bee-Keeping is rendered more Profitable 

and Pleasant. 



By D. L.^DAIR, 



HAWESVILLE, KY. 



"^ CINCINNATI: 
Robert Clarke & Co., Publishers, 65 West Fourth St. 

1867. 



•An 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, 

By D. L. ADAIR, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. 



n^^"" 



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PREFACE 



IT is not the intention of the author of this little book to discuss, 
minutely, the subject of Bees and Bee-Culture. That has been 
well done by Langstroth, Quinby and others, who have written ex- 
tensively on the subject ; but conceiving that he has made some ad- 
vance in Bee-Keeping, particularly in the construction of Hives, 
and honey receptacles, and also in the methods of making artificial 
swarms, he has attempted in as short, plain and comprehensive 
a manner as possible, to lay before the public all, that he consid- 
ers of any importance, that he has learned from a practical experi- 
ence of twelve years. 

When he first concluded to introduce the Section Bee-Hive, he 
set about writing out a few plain directions for using it, to be is- 
sued in a circular, but found that the new hive required a new 
system of bee management, which could not be given in a few 
pages, nor learned from the books heretofore issued. To bring it 
into successful use, it was necessary to state every fact, and every 
particular, that could be of service in working it to the best ad- 
vantage. In this he could not be assisted by any precedent, the 
hive being original and novel, consequently he had to rely on his 
own experience almost entirely. If he has succeeded in making 
himself understood, it is all he desires, believing that the new sys- 
tem, when comprehended, will commend itself to public favor. 

D. L. Adair. 
Sawesville, Ky, 1867. 



INDEX 



Advantages of Section Bee-Hive... 

After-Swarms 

Age of Drones 

Age of Queen 

Age of Workers 

Air-Space 

Ants 

Artificial S warming 

Advantages of. 

Assisting a New Swarm 

Bee-Bread... 

Bee-Moth 

Bees Learn Nothing 

Birds Catch Bees 

Brood-Chambers 

"Buckwheat" Swarms 

But One Queen in a. Hive 

Care and Treatment of Bees 

Case of Hive 

"Cast" Swarm 

Catch the Queen, How to 

Cause of Eobbing 

Cells of Three Kinds 

Charming Bees ; 

Chloroforming Bees 

Colonizing, First Method 

Second Method 

" Colt" Swarm 

Comb, How Made 

Comb, Save the Surplus 

Directions for Using Section Bee- 
Hive ~ 

Disturbing Bees 

Dividing 

Driving Bees 

Driving-Box 

Drone-Comb 



»AOE 

Drones Described 63 

Drones Mature in Twenty-four 

Days 65 

Drumming 31 

Dzierzon's Theory 8 

Educating Bees 69 

Eggs 64 

Enemies of Bees 71 

Entrance-Holes 14 

Equalizing Swarms...... 36 

Experiments with Observing-Hive 65 

Facts About Bees 7 

Fecundation of Queen 8 

Fertile Workers 7, 53 

"Filly" Swarm 10 

Forced Swarming 31 

Guard-Bees 62 

Guides 15 

Habits of Bees Not Changed 70 

Handling Bees 67 

Hiving Natural Swarms 25 

Honey-Boxes 16 

Honey-Cells 62 

How Bees Work in Honey-Boxes 19 
How Bees Work in the Section 

Bee-Hive 19 

How Many Bees can be Kept in 

one place 56, 57 

How to Catch the Queen 51 

How to Get the Bees Out of Boxes. 21 

How to Handle Bees 67 

How to Make Four Swarms from 

One 43 

How to Make Swarms by Divid- 
ing 39, 40, 42 

How to Remove Laying Workers 53 
How to Tame Bees 67 



VI 



INDEX. 



PAGB 

How to Take Off Honey-Boxes 21 

Inducing Bees to Work in Honey- 
Boxes 20 

Italianizing 52 

Larvse 64 

Laying Workers 7, 53 

Laying Workers, How to Eemove 53 

"Maiden" Swarm 10 

Making a Queen 60 

Mice in Hives 72 

Moths 71 

Moth-Miller 65 

Moth-Proof Hives 71 

Non-Swarmer Hives 10 

Nucleus Swarming 45 

Number of Bees in a Swarm 10 

Nursing Bees 65 

Observing Bee-Hive 59 

Office of the Drones 9, 65 

Office of the Queen 64 

Office of the Workers 9, 60, 62 

Overstocking 59 

Passage-Holes 15 

Piping 10 

Pollen 60 

Preface 5 

"Prime" Swarm 9 

Profits of Bee-Keeping 55 

Propolis 61 

Pupje 65 

Queen, Age of. 7 

Queen-Cell, Described 62 

Queen, Described 64 

Queen, Her Office 64 

Queen, How to Catch 51 

Queen, Lays two Kinds of Eggs... 7 



PAGE 

Queen, Matures in Sixteen Days... 65 

Queenless Hive 65 

Kobber-Bees 72 

Bobbing, How Caused 72 

Bobbing, How to Kemedy 73 

Salt on Bottom-Board 19 

Save Surplus Comb 21 

Section Bee-Hive Described 14 

Sections Described 14 

"Settling" Swarms 9 

Snakes and Toads 72 

Spiders Catch Bees 72 

Swarming 9 

Swarming, Artificial 29 

Swarming-Box 25 

Taming Bees 67 

Taming Bees with Chloroform 68 

Taming Bees with Puff-Balls 68 

Tame Bees with Smoke 67, 69 

Three Kinds of Bees 60 

Toads and Snakes 72 

To Empty the Bees from Hive 

without Taking the Queen 54 

To Prevent Swarming 23 

Transferring and Dividing 37 

Transferring from old Hives 34 

Ventilating Bees 63 

Wax, How to Make 61 

When to Divide 40, 42 

When to Drive Bees.... 31, 33, 40, 42 
When to Make Artificial Swarms. 30 

Wintering Bees 23 

Workers Hatch the Young 62 

Workers, Mature in Twenty-One 

Days 65 

Workers, Offiice of. 9, 60, 62 



New System of Bee-Keeping. 



CHAPTER I. 

FACTS ABOUT BEES. 



1. A Colony of Bees consists of three diiferent kinds of individ- 
uals : The queen, workers, and (during part of the year) drones. 
The drones are the male bees. The queen is the only perfectly de- 
veloped female in the hive. The "workers are imperfectly devel- 
oped females, and only in rare instances (if ever) lay eggs, which 
only hatch out drones. 

2. The queen lives four or five years ; but after she is three years 
old her vigor decreases, and she often, at four years old, becomes so 
infirm as to be incapable of laying eggs enough to populate the 
hive and keep it strong. Some of the most experienced bee-keep- 
ers recommend destroying her at three years old. Ifit were not 
for the difficulty of knowing how old each queen is, I have no 
doubt that it would be a good plan to do so. It is impracticable, as 
a general rule. 

3. A worker lives from two to nine months. 

4. A drone lives as long as the workers will let him, 

5. The queen lays all the eggs found in the hive, where there is 
a queen present. Sometimes there is no perfect queen in a hive, 
and it is the general opinion of bee-keepers that a common 
worker is then set up as queen, which lays eggs, from which drones, 
and drones only, are hatched. Whether it be a common worker, 
with her organs of generation more highly developed than ordi- 
nary, or a queen whose organs are defective, can not be ascertained, 
or has not been. I am inclined to believe that it is the latter. 

6. The queen lays but two kinds of eggs ; male and female. 
From the former are hatched the drones; from the latter proceed 
the queens and the workers. If the eggs are laid in the smallest 
cells, which are about one-fifth of an inch in diameter, they are 



8 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

female eggs, and hatch out workei's; if laid in larger cells, which 
are about one-fourth of an inch wide, they are always male eggs, 
and develop drones : if laid in peculiarly formed, acorn-shaped, 
hanging vertically, " so-called," royal-cells, they are always female 
eggs, and from them the bees, by a peculiar nursing and feeding, 
rear queens. The queen has been known, so say good authorities, 
to lay three thousand eggs in a day. She has a sting, but only uses 
it in conflict with another queen. 

7. The queen can lay male or drone eggs, without being fecun- 
dated by the drone, but in order to be able to lay female eggs, she 
must be fecundated. "When once accomplished, it is efficacious 
during her life, or so long as she retains her health and vigor. 

8. The fecundation of the queen is accomjilished by a single 
drone, outside of the hive, and on the wing. This is the received 
theory, although we have good authority for saying that sometimes 
fertilization does take place without her going forth for the pur- 
pose, as, for instance, Avhen confined with drones in a glass vessel. 

9. If the queen be not fecundated, Dziei'zon says, she ordinarily 
does not lay eggs. Still, he says, exceptional cases sometimes oc- 
cur, and the eggs then laid produc'e drones only. 

10. The bees tolerate but one queen in a hive at a time, except 
in rare instances, and for a short time. Sometimes a young queen 
is found in a hive just before the death of an old queen, and some- 
times just before the issuing of a swarm with the old queen. 

11. The foregoing ten sections contain, substantially, all the 
points of what is known as the " Dzierzon theory," at least, all 
that is important. This theory received its name from the Eev. 
Mr. Dzierzon, of Karlsmarkt, Silesia, to Avhom is now generally ac- 
corded the honor and credit of solving the mysteries, in which the 
history of the propagation of bees, together with their classifica- 
tion and characteristics, had been involved for centuries. Although, 
when first put forth, his theory was violently assailed by all the 
principal bee-keepers of Europe, an intelligent investigation of it, 
caused it to be generally recognized everj^where ; and upon it is 
now based all the diff'erent successful systems of bee-keeping; and 
that system is found to be the most perfect, which accommodates 
itself most nearly to his theory. The bee-keeper, who expects suc- 
cess in the business, should thoroughly study and understand it. 
Without it he can hardly expect the skill and judgment necessary 
to great success. 



PACTS ABOUT BEES. 9 

12. The drones have no sting. Their only use seems to be the 
fertilization of the queen. Their number depends on the number 
of drone-cells in the hive. They are driven out or killed by the 
workers as soon as the honey-harvest and swarming is over. 

13. The workers do all the work of the hive except laying eggs. 
They collect all the honey, bee-bread and propolis, make wax, 
build the combs, hatch and feed the young, raise queens, guard 
the hive, keep it clean, and in rare instances (perhaps ?) lay eggs ; 
fi'om which drones only can be hatched. 

14. The queen requires sixteen days, the workers twenty-one 
days, and the drones twenty-four days to mature, from the time the 
eggs are laid — a day or two, more or less, according to the strength 
of the colony, and weather. 

15. Each populous colony in an ordinary sized hive, when honey 
is abundant, rears one or more young queens. When the first one 
is about to emerge from her cell, the old queen, with a portion of 
the workers and drones, leave the hive, which constitutes swarm- 
ing. The firtt queen that emerges takes her place, and if the col- 
ony still be populous, and honey very abundant, she leads off a 
second swarm, when the second young queen is about to emerge ; 
and sometimes even a third, fourth, and fifth swarm are thrown 
out from the same hive in this way. 

16. There are very few swarms that fly off to the woods without 
first alighting on a bush, shrub, or tree, and all ringing of bells, 
blowing horns, beating j)ans, and other noises are useless in " set- 
tling " them, as it is called. All swarms that will cluster at all, 
will do so without any of the hurrah that is generally made. If it 
has any effect at all, it is rather calculated to drive them off. 

17. The first swarm that leaves the hive in the spring, is called 
the ^^ prime " swarm, and is usually the largest; but as it is the old 
queen that leads them, may not be the best or most valuable ; all 
swarms issuing thereafter, the same year, are called "after- 
swarms." 

18. The second swarm, or first after-swarm is called a "cast," 
and may be exjDected within fourteen days after the "prime" — 
usually about the tenth or twelfth day. It is nearly always weaker 
than the "prime," but as it has a young, vigorous queen, makes 
the most valuable of stocks, if they pass the winter safely. 

19. The third swarm, from the same stock, is called a " colt," and 
is also valuable if it can be wintered. A fourth swarm is called a 



10 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

"filly." These follow the second, or " cast," at intervals of one to 
three days. In favorable localities, and by proper management, I 
have known valuable stocks made from them. 

20. A swarm from a swarm is called a " maiden " swarm, and is 
led by the same queen that accompanied the "f)rime." This is 
usually a strong swarm, and with a little assistance is as valuable 
as a " prime " swarm. 

21. A swarm coming after the general swarming season, in 
August, or later, is called a " buck-ivheat" swarm, and is generally 
very weak in numbers. I have made strong stocks from them, 
but except in very favorable seasons and localities, they had better 
be returned to the parent hive, after destroying the queen, or be 
added to some weak colony, to strengthen it. 

22. There are no eggs laid in the old stock, after the first swarm 
leaves, until the young queen emerges and becomes fertilized — gen- 
erally two weeks — sometimes three. 

23. For twenty-four hours, or more, previous to a swarm leaving, 
"piping," as it is called, may be distinctly heard in the hive. It 
is a noise made by the oldest queen, and sounds something like 
"peep,'^ ^^peep" and seems to be answered by the queen in the cell 
by a sound something like " off," " off." To hear the piping, apply 
the ear close to the hive in the morning and evening ; sometimes 
it is quite distinct, and may be heard several yards off. As early 
as eight days after the prime swarm issues, the piping sometimes 
commences again, indicating preparations for the second or " cast " 
swarm. Continue to listen for it until the fifteenth day, and if no 
piping is heard it is evidence that there will be no further swarm- 
ing, and that the queens have all been destroyed but one, and that 
she will begin to lay eggs in a few days. If any accident should 
happen to the queen, or she be taken away before she begins. to 
lay, no more can be reared, as there is no material — eggs less than 
six days old — out of which a queen can be made. If two, three, or 
more swarms have issued, the piping should be listened for after 
each, for as long as there are swarms to issue, it will be heard. 

24. A pound of bees contains about five thousand. A good 
swarm should contain three pounds at least, or fifteen thousand 
bees ; sometimes there are five times as many, or seventy-five 
thousand — fifteen pounds. It is estimated that a colony can not 
exceed eighty-four thousand at any one time, as the queen can not 
lay over that number of eggs, before all of the bees, alive when 



TACTS ABOUT BEES. 11 

she commenced, will die off. Therefore, a hive large enough to 
furnish room and work for that number of bees will never swarm. 
Such a hive is called a " non-swarmer," and some contend that it 
is the most profitable way of managing bees, as such a colony will 
produce from three to five times as much honey as a " swarmer " 
hive. They are well suited to persons only desiring a few colo- 
nies. As the section bee-hive can be made of any dimensions, it 
is easily converted into a non-swarmer. If made to contain three 
thousand five hundred cubic inches in the brood-chamber, and 
four thousand cubic inches in the honey-boxes, it will never swarm. 
The brood-chamber should be formed of twelve sections, each 
12x18 inches, with three tiers of honey-boxes, each formed of twelve 
sections 5x8 inches. The brood-chamber will contain three 
thousand seven hundred and thirty-two cubic inches, and the 
honey -boxes, in the aggregate, four thousand and fifty, and the 
latter will hold about one hundred and fifty pounds of honey. 



12 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

CHAPTER II. 

BEE-HIVES. 

Until within the List fifty or sixty years, little improvement 
was made in the management of bees. Their hives remained then 
as they were a thousand years before — a simple, square box, a sec- 
tion of a hollow tree, or the still more primitive straw-hive, of 
sugar-loaf shape ; from which honey could only be taken by the 
murderous method of destroying the bees. Huber constructed the 
first frame-hive, which was simply a number of frames, in each of 
which was placed a comb, as a guide, and all hung on hinges to 
open like the leaves of a book. This was called a " Leaf-Hive." 

Dzierzon used bars, placed in rabbets across the hive, so they 
could be slipped out and in, to which the bees built their comb. 
Under that arrangement the bees attached their comb to the sides 
of the hive, which had to be removed by a knife. To obviate this, 
Henry Taylor, an Englishman, about 1838, added the side-bars, 
and finally added the bottom-bar, thus completing the frame, which 
was suspended in the hive, as he says, " so as not to touch the sides 
or bottom." W. A. Munn also claims to have invented the " Bar 
and Frame Hive" of which he published a description in London 
in 1844. He used first the oblong, square frame. In 1851 he con- 
structed the triangular frame. 

Eev. L. L. Langstroth was the first to introduce the movable 
'comb, or bar-frames, in the United States, for which he obtained a 
patent in 1852 ; since which a number'of hives have been patented, 
in which the frame was the most prominent feature. 

The introduction of the frame or movable comb-hives was the 
beginning of a new era in bee-culture. It became a certainty. 
New colonies could be made without letting the bees swarm out in 
the natural way ; swarming could be restricted, and even prevented 
altogether ; weak colonies could be rendered strong, by adding bees 
and stored honey to them from stronger hives, or by uniting two 
or more weak ones ; new queens could be introduced when the old 
ones were lost or destroyed ; excessive breeding of drones could be 
prevented by destroying the drone-comb ; .iind perhaps the most im- 



BEE-HIVES. 13 

portant advantage of any, or all of these, was the prevention of the 
destruction of the bees by the moth, by being able to keep the colo- 
nies in such strength that they could defend themselves, their 
combs and their stores ; or in case the moth should get in, being 
able to cut them out and destroy them. 

While a long stride has thus been made toward perfection, it has 
not yet been reached. Many modifications of frames have been 
made to correct faults which they all have, and which all loose or 
movable frames always will have, under any of the different man- 
ners of constructing them, and using them in the solid box hive. 
However well they may work at first, while they are new and not 
gummed and glued up by the bees, and while they are straight and 
square, they soon become warped and obstructed, so that they are a 
great annoyance to the bee-keeper ; and in the course of a year or 
two they are almost, if not entirely worthless, for the purposes for 
which they were intended. 

To remedy this and other imperfections, I have invented and 
constructed a hive on an entirely new principle. I call it 

The Section Bee-Hive. 

It is made by forming the different chambers, apartments and 
honey-boxes of a series of vertical sections or rims, so fitted to each 
other as to form close boxes of the size and length required. By 
an entirely new and simple device I compel the bees to form the 
sheets of comb just where it is desired ; so that when the sections 
are taken apart none of the comb will be broken. Or the main, or 
brood-chamber, may be made to inclose frames, if desired, in which 
case the sections are made deep enough to hold two or more frames, 
one of which is attached to the section, the others set in loose. 
The whole is inclosed by an outer case or box for protection from 
the weather. 



14 



NKW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPINa. 




D. L. ADAIR S BEE-HIVE. 



Description of D. L. Adair's Section Bee-Hive. 

The hive is composed of, first, the brood-chamber, which is gen- 
erally thirteen inches wide, thirteen and one-half inch long, 
and ten inches deep, inside measurement, and contains 1755 cubic 
inches. It can be made of any size or dimensions, either way. 
For those who prefer it deeper, (which I think unnecessary.) it 
can be made narrower, so as to contain about the same space. 
The brood-chamber is formed of nine vertical sections, or rims 
each one and one-half inch wide. The top and bottom-pieces 
are fourteen inches long, one and one-half inch wide; the side- 
pieces are ten inches long, and the same width — all of them one- 
half inch thick. They are nailed together, one nail in each corner, 
the toj) and bottom-pieces to the ends of the side-pieces, and pro- 



BEE-HIVES. 15 

jecting in front three-sixteenths of an inch, and setting back from 
the edge of the side-pieces the same distance in the rear. 

When two of these sections are placed together, the projection 
of one fits over the shoulders of the other, thus holding them true, 
horizontally. When nine of them are thus fitted together, a strip 
thirteen and three-fourth inches long, one-half inch thick, and one 
inch wide, is screwed to each corner, lengthwise, on the side, thus 
holding it true every way. It is only necessary to put two screws, 
in each strip, into the two end sections — the projections and 
shoulders, with this assistance, hold every one to its place. 

The back section has two holes, three inches long and one-half 
inch wide, one and one-half inch from each end of the bottom 
and top-pieces, and five inches apart, for entrance-holes, and passa- 
ges to the honey-boxes. The back end is closed by a board one- 
half inch thick, thirteen inches wide and eleven inches long, 
slightly nailed to the bottom and top-pieces, to close the back end 
of the chamber. The front end is closed with a pane of glass ten by 
fourteen inches, held in by pieces of tin or small tacks. The un- 
derside of each top-piece is covered with cotton-flannel or other 
soft fabric, pasted or glued on, to prevent the bees from starting 
any of their combs anywhere except on the guides. Guides are 
placed in the center of each top-piece over the flannel. Two kinds 
of guides are used : 

First. Pieces of wood one-fourth inch thick, one-half inch 
wide, and twelve inches long, with one edge made very 
thin, and coated by being dipped in melted bees-wax, are sprigged 
on ; second, pieces of cord, about one-eighth inch in diameter, or 
larger, and twelve inches long, are dipped in bees-wax melted and 
mixed with one-fourth its weight of rosin. The cord should be 
open and soft — something like candle-wick is best. These are 
warmed and pressed against the flannel, to which they will ad- 
here, but for fear the flannel may not be securely pasted to the top, 
they should be fastened by three or four small tacks or sprigs. 
One-half the guides should be of wood, and the other half of waxed 
cord, alternating with each other. Where pieces of honey-comb 
can be had, the flannel may be omitted. Pieces of comb, four to 
six inches long, and one inch wide, may be fastened to the sections 
by first coating the underside of the section -top with the hot rosin, 
with a brush, and, while warm, pressing the comb against it, which 
will fasten it tight. If you have not sufiicient comb to put in all 
the sections, if every other one, or every third one, contain comb, 



16 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

the other may be filled with either of the other guides, without 
using the flannel. In that case the cord guides will adhere without 
the tacks. 




SECTION HONEY-BOX. 

Second, The honey-boxes are formed of similar sections, only 
varying in size. The top and bottom-pieces are six inches long ; 
the side-pieces, five inches long, — are put together in the 
same way, with the same number of sections — and are of the same 
length — as the brood-chamber. The pieces are one-fourth of an inch 
thick. The back end is closed by a piece five and one-half inches 
square, sprigged to the top and bottom-pieces. The front end is 
closed by a piece of glass five by six inches. One passage-hole is 
cut in the front side of the top, and one in the bottom-piece of the 
back section, three inches long and one and one-half inches from 
each end. Guides are used as in the bi'ood-chamber. 

Four honey-boxes are used in each hive. Two set on the brood- 
chamber, with the passage-holes corresponding with the passage- 
holes in the top of the brood-chamber ; the other two are put on 
the top of the first two, with the passage-holes corresponding. 
The top passage-holes are closed by tacking over them thin 
wooden strips. The bees pass through the lower tier of boxes to 
get to the others. Four boxes, of the size used, will hold about 
fifty-two pounds, or about one pound to the inch in length. Six or 
more boxes can be used on one hive, by having the case (which is 
next described) sufficiently high to receive them. 

Third. The case is made of inch-boards, is sixteen inches 
square, and two feet high inside — the front side closed by a door 
sixteen by twenty-five inches. The bottom board is sixteen inches 
long and eighteen inches wide. The two side-pieces are twenty- 



BEE-HIVES. 17 

five inches long, and are nailed to the ends of the bottom board, 
and also to the side of the back-piece, which is sixteen inches wide, 
and twenty-four inches long, all even to the top. The bottom 
board projects two inches at the back, for an alighting board, and 
is bevelled off to shed the rain. It sets back one inch (the 
thickness of the door), from the front. The entrance-holes are cut 
into the bottom board one-half its thicknesa, three inches -wide, and 
extending back five inches. They are five inches apart, and two 
and one-half inches from the ends, extending under the back of 
the case, and two inches further. A wooden strip — twelve inches 
long, three and one-half inches wide, and one-half inch thick, with 
two holes three inches long, one-half inch wide, one inch from the 
front, and two from the back, one-half inch from the ends and five 
inches apart — is nailed over the holes in the bottom board, inside, 
against the back. The bees pass in under the back board and 
under two inches of this strip, to pass up through the holes, which, 
when the brood-chamber is in place, will correspond with the en- 
trance-holes in its bottom. Two strips, one-half inch square, and 
sixteen inches long, are nailed on the bottom board, from front to 
rear, twelve inches apart, so that their back ends come against the 
end of the entrance -strip, just described, upon which the brood- 
chamber sets, and slides in and out, and which raises it up to the 
level of the entrance-strip. Two other strips, one-half inch square 
and two feet long, are nailed against the back board, inside, to keep 
the brood-chamber and honey-boxes from going back to the back 
boards, for the purpose of leaving an air-space between them and 
the back, and the case being larger than the brood-chamber on 
every side, the said air-space extends all around, as well as under it. 

The section bee-hive has the following advantages over any other 
now in use : 

It has all the advantages of the movable comb-hives, with none 
of their inconveniences. 

It has no loose or disconnected frames to be getting out of place 
or order. "When frames are used they are so constructed, and ar- 
ranged in the hive, that each one is fixed to its place, and yet they 
can be operated with greater ease than those of any other hive. 

The hives can be used with or without frames with equal success. 

The bees can not gum or glue the frames, or sections, so that each 
piece of comb can not be handled separate from the others. 

It is upon an entirely new plan. 
2 



18 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

It is warmer in winter, and cooler in summer, than any. other 
hive. 

The size of the working, or brood-chamber, can be contracted 
and enlarged at will, to suit the size or requirements of a colony. 

Artificial swarms can be more easily made than on any other 
plan. 

It can be more easily Italianized, as every bee can be seen and 
handled, and not one left in the hive. In fact, when it is completely 
opened out, there is no hive left, except an empty outer case. 
Thus there is no chance for the queen to dodge into some corner 
where she can not be found. 

The surplus honey -boxes are in close communication with the 
working-chamber, and also with each other, and the bees work in 
them with certainty. 

The honey-boxes can be used to the full capacity of the bees to 
fill them, and they can be forced to work in all of them at once, 
thereby doubling the quantity of honey made on any other plan, 
in any other hive. 

The surplus honey -boxes can be made of any convenient size, 
either before or after they are filled with honey. 

Each piece of comb can be readily removed, at any time, without 
having to wait until the whole box is filled. Thus the bee-keeper 
can have honey in market earlier than from any other hive, 
thereby securing a better price. 

The honey is in better shape for market. It can be divided 
into pieces of from one to two pounds, without breaking a cell or 
losing a drop of honey ; thus suiting it to the small retailer, and 
for this reason it will bring a better price. 

Out of the partly filled honey -boxes, filled boxes, of any desired 
size, can be constructed, thus making marketable as "box-honey" 
a large portion of honey, which, under any other system, would 
have to be sold in bulk, or strained, which never brings as much 
by twenty-five to thirty -three per cent. 

For family use, just what honey is needed can be taken from a 
box without breaking what is left, and the box closed hermetically; 
;and the box will be full until all is gone, thus keeping in the best 
condition, until all is used. 

The honey -boxes can be applied to any of the hives now in use, 
that use boxes, caps or drawers, whether it be a round log, a com- 
mon box or any of the improved hives. 



DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 19 

CHAPTER III. 

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 

The space between the bottom of the brood-chamber, and the 
bottom board of the case, should be kept covered at least one- 
quarter inch deep with fine salt. This will keep ants, moths, and 
other vermin, from building their nests in, or frequenting the hive, 
and will preserve the lower part of the hive from decay. 

See that the brood-chamber is in the center of the case, and 
pushed back as far as it will go, so that the entrance-holes agree 
exactly. A wooden strip, just the thickness of the air-sj)ace on each 
side of the brood-chamber, should be slipped in each side of it, as 
a gauge by which to regulate it. 

See that the guides are in place, in all the sections, before in- 
troducing bees to the hive ; and, unless at least every third section 
contains a piece of comb, cover the under side of the top of each 
section with cotton-flannel, by pasting, or gluing on, and sprig, or 
tack on the guides over that — using the wooden and cord guides 
alternately. 

See that the hive sits level every way. This is important when 
the bees are building comb, as they will build it plumb. 

The bees will commence work next to the entrance always, in 
brood-chamber as well as in honey -boxes, and work back toward 
the glass. They should be examined occasionally, as they pro- 
gress, to see that they place the combs correctly on the guides. 
If, from any cause, they should fail to do so, you should correct 
them before they go too far, by taking out the section, or sections, 
that have not the comb on the guides, and placing them properly. 
If you open the chamber, after they have worked on several of 
the sections, shift them, by separating them, and placing the 
empty sections between them, so as to have every other one, or at 
least every third one, partly filled with comb. 

The bees will generally commence and finish the lower tier of 
honey -boxes, before they commence in those above. When they 
have worked in three or four sections (which you can see through 
the glass), shift the bottom boxes to the top, bringing the others 



20 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

down, so as to compel the bees to pass through the empty boxes. 
This separates their stores, and they will immediately commence 
work in the empty boxes, and work with redoubled energy to 
connect them ; and by this means all the boxes will be filled 
nearly as soon as the two would have been, had they been let 
alone. 

When any of the boxes are filled, take them out, putting empty 
ones in their places ; but never place an empty box on top, wiiile you 
have one in which the bees are working, which you can place over 
it. If all the boxes are full, take out only two at one time, placing 
empty boxes under those left in; and when the bees get them one- 
third full, take out the full top boxes, and put empty boxes under 
the others. Do not wait for every cell in the last section to be 
filled and covered over, for frequently the bees leave a few cells in 
that, which they are a long time sealing over. "When the last sheet 
is about filled, and, for several days, there seems to be no more 
done to it, take the box out, and give them an empty one below. 
Bees are lazy, if there is any excuse for it ; but by this manage- 
ment, they are kept at work as long as there is any honey to 
gather. 

If you see your bees laying out idly, in clusters around the en- 
trance-holes, during the honey season, you can generally put them 
all to work in twenty-four hours, by shifting the boxes, and giving 
them empty ones between their brood-chamber and their surplus 
stores. 

If any of your colonies, which seem to be strong, are not work- 
ing in the honey -boxes, when they have their brood-chamber well 
filled with comb, take two boxes from a hive that is working in 
four, or from two separate hives, and, after emptying the bees out, 
place them on the lazy hive, directly on the brood-chamber ; they 
will soon set about completing them. In three or four days you 
may shift them to the top, and they will work in all the boxes. 

If a colon}' should be working in one box only, bring the empty 
box above it down, and place the partially filled box on top, until 
the bees commence work in three or four sections of the box thus 
brought down, when you should lift it up to the top of the other 
l^ile, bringing the top box from there to fill its place below, and 
you will soon have them working in all the boxes. Or, take part 
of the sections from a full box, and combine them with empty 
sections, to form a full-length box, and place it under the pile, in 



DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 21 

which there is no work going on, and you may thus induce the 
bees to work there. When fairly at work shift to the top. 

Sections may be taken from the first boxes worked in, and placed 
in boxes on all your other hives, as an inducement to begin in 
them. When you once get them started (if there are bees enough 
to do it), you will soon have all filled by following the foregoing 
directions. 

All the empty combs should be carefully saved, and if not used 
as guides in the brood-chambers, should be placed in the honey- 
boxes. It saves a great deal of time and trouble, as well as honey. 
Bees will store three times as much honey if the empty comb is 
provided, as they will if they have to make the comb. ]^one but 
new white comb should be used in the honey -boxes. Drone-comb 
is as good as any. The dark old comb should be used in the 
brood-chamber. Each pound of comb is worth at least ten dollars 
to the bee-keeper. 

When you wish to take off a honey -box, have two pieces of tin 
or zinc, five or six by fourteen inches ; insert them both, one at a 
time, under the box, full-length — first lifting the end of the box a 
little, so that they will go under with ease. Draw out the box 
with one piece of tin, which will cover the passage-hole, and pre- 
vent the bees escaping. Leave the other piece of tin to close the 
hole in the lower box, or chamber. If the bees are busy gathering 
honey, the box may be set down anywhere with the holes open, 
and the bees will leave it. If it be late in the season, it should be 
taken to a dark cellar, or room ; for, if set down where the bees 
can get to it, when the honey supply is scarce in the flowers, they 
will soon carry it all off. I usually, at this time, set the boxes in a 
barrel with one head out, or in a box with the top off, and cover 
with a thin cloth. The bees will leave the box, and cluster on the 
cloth. In about one hour I turn the cloth over, and release what 
bees are on it. The remaining bees will come out, and cluster on 
the cloth in the sam« way, when I again turn it, and repeat until 
aU are out. The barrel, or box, may be filled with boxes, set across 
each other so as to leave both holes open in each. You should have 
at least three pairs of these tins to answer all uses. When the bees 
are all out, have a strip of cotton cloth, coated with bees-wax two 
parts, resin two parts, and tallow one part, which place over each 
hKjle, and over that a piece of thick paper, and rub with a hot iron 
until they adhere, when it is sealed up air-tight, and is ready to 
put away, or for market. 

Another method, suggested by a gentleman of JJ^ew York, to Mr. 



22 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

Qiiinby, and recommended by him, I have never tried, but it has 
some advantages. The following are Mr. Quinby's directions : 
" He designates each hive with a number, and when the boxes are 
put on, each box receives the same number as the hive. When a 
box is full, an empty one to replace it, is numbered in the same 
way. ***** '^ The empty box is put on the full one, and 
the slide removed, giving the bees free passage to the upper box. 
Any number of boxes may be set on one board, and by striking the 
board gently, with a stick, or hammer, the bees immediately leave 
the full, for the empty boxes ; then the slide is inserted, and each 
box containing the bees returned to the hive to which it belongs, 
which is known by the number. If a large number of boxes are to 
be taken off at one time, it will be necessary, without a correspond- 
ing number of slides QDieces of tin, as described in this chapter — 
D. L. J..), to use pieces of glass, or wood, to lay over the holes in 
the tops of the hives, while other boxes are being taken off. The 
advantages of this method are, that no bees can fly to annoy any 
one ; and all young bees, that have never before left the hive, and 
.are usually lost, are returned; the bees are already in the box 
and go to work sooner; the honey in the box is clean, etc." The 
full box should be inverted, before putting on the empty one, as the 
bees will pass out more readily, at the regular passage-hole Strike 
lightly, as too heavy knocking would dislodge the new, brittle 
comb. This is the same principle that is applied to " Driving or 
Forced Swarming" — (see that head). 

Honey -boxes should never be left on the hives, after they are full, 
as the bees, running over the comb, will soil it, and, besides, it en- 
-courages idleness. 

When a hive has more boxes, partly filled, than they will likely 
complete, take all of the full sections out of them, and combining 
the partly filled sections, into a fewer number of boxes, return them, 
or give them to the strongest colonies, that have filled their boxes, 
to finish. 

Should a hive become so populous, that there is no room for them 
all to work, and, after following all of the methods pointed out in 
this chapter, there is still a cluster on the outside of the hive, 
remove two or three of the full sections — alternate ones — giving 
them empty sections in their places. The full sections may be 
given to weak colonies, or to late swarms, thus rendering them 
strong and valuable. The brood in them will add to their num- 
bers, and the comb will be worth many pounds of honey to them. 



DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 23 

Swarming may be prevented, lay opening the hives, at intervals 
of two weeks, and destroying, or taking out the queen-cells. If 
done at the proper time, and thoroughly, three times is sufficient ; 
but, unless the space in the hive and honey-boxes is large, the col- 
ony will become so populous that the workers will store all the 
brood-cells full of honey as fast as the young bees mature and 
emerge from them, thus leaving the queen no room to deposit 
more eggs. There being no young to hatch, and the bees continu- 
ally dying from age, and the number decreasing, there are fewer 
to consume the stores, the honey remains in the cells, the colony 
grows weaker, from day to day, and the chances are that they will 
fall a prey to the moth, or robbers; or, if they escape these, they are 
in a poor condition to pass the winter. If the colony survives the 
winter, it may continue weak and unproductive. The remedy, 
in such a case, is to take out a part of the sections, so filled with 
honey, and replace them with empty ones, or with sections con- 
taining empty comb, or partly filled with comb from weaker colo- 
nies, giving to the weaker colonies the full comb. 

Of all difficulties with which bee-keepers have had to contend, 
there has been none so great as that of wintering bees successfully. 
Some house them, or put them in cellars ; this is troublesome to 
the bees and owners, and far from satisfactory. Some put them in 
clamps, or have a box made to set over each hive on its stand ; this 
is, perhaps, better, but is expensive. From ten to twenty-five per 
cent, of the bees kept in the northern States are annually lost in 
wintering. The section bee-hive, I believe, remedies the difficulty 
perfectly. It is only necessary to fill the air-spaces, between the 
brood-chamber and the case, with dry saw-dust, or grain-chafi", and 
put some old woolen rags, pieces of old blanket or old carpet, be- 
tween the door and the glass, and you have the bees in their win- 
ter quarters, snug and warm, without moving them from their 
stand, or interrupting them in the least. Two empty honey-boxes 
should be left on the hive, with the two lower passage-holes open, 
and the saw-dust or chaif filled around, between and over them. 
After all the cold weather is over, the saw-dust may be removed, 
the bottom freshly salted, and the trouble is over ; or the saw-dust 
may remain in until you have occasion to take out the brood-cham- 
ber for artificial swarming, or some other purpose. 

Some writers on bee-keeping, attach great importance to breed- 
ing bees only in new comb. At least one patentee claims that the 
" main object, of his improvement, is to renew the comb once or 



24 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

twice every year." He further claims that "the only way to 
make the bees strong is to renew the comb and never allow your 
bees to breed in the same comb the second time." The " Cottage 
Bee-Keeper " says " renovation of comb should take place not less 
often than once in every four or five years." The idea seems to 
be that the cells become smaller, from the accumulation of cocoons 
spun in them by each generation of bees, and that each new brood 
becomes smaller, and weaker, from having to conform in size to the 
cells in which they are reared. Mr. Langstroth says, in reply to 
this suggestion, that old comb dwarfs the bees: "When I find 
such a colony, I shall think it worth while to give specific direc- 
tions as to how it should be managed. The truth is, that of all the 
many mistakes, and impositions, which have disgusted multitudes 
with the very sound of " jtatent hive," none has been more fatal 
than the notion that an old colony of bees could not be expected to 
prosper. Thousands of the very best stocks have been wantonly 
sacrificed to this chimera ; and so long as bee-keepers — instead of 
studying the habits of the bee — prefer to listen to the interested 
statements of ignorant, or enthusiastic, or fraudulent persons, thou- 
sands more will suffer the same fate. * * * * What old bee- 
keeper has not had abundant proof that stocks, eight or ten years 
old, or even older, are often among the very best in his whole 
apiary, always healthy, and always swarming with almost unfailing 
regularity." Mr. Quinby says, in the American Agriculturist, for 
September, 1858: " I have known combs half that age (twenty -two 
years), to be used for brood, and the bees bred in them could not 
be distinguished from those reared in new comb." 

Destroying the old comb, to prevent dwarfing, is not only use- 
less, but decidedly injurious, as it keeps the bees employed making 
comb, when they could be, and would be, more jjrofitably emj)loyed 
in storing honey. The time lost, and the honey consumed, in 
making one pound of wax, is equivalent to twenty -five or thirty 
pounds of honey lost. If there is ever any necessity for pruning 
out old comb, it is evidently only at long intervals, and our advice 
is, wait until you see your bees reduced in size, before you under- 
take it ; we would even wait longer, and see for ourselves, whether 
they would not prove just as efficient as the larger ones. Is it not 
to be wondered at, if dwarfing is an injury, that all of the Italian 
bees, that have been introduced to hives filled with common worker- 
comb, are not dwarfed, degenerated, enfeebled and destroyed by 
the moth ? 



HOW TO HIVE A NATURAL SWARM IN THE SECTION BEE-HIVE. 25 

CHAPTER IV. 

HOW TO HIVE A NATURAL SWARM IN THE SECTION BEE-HIVE, 

Take out the brood-chamber ; stop the entrance-holes and pass- 
age-holes to the honey -boxes, and remove the glass. See that the 
tops of the sections are covered with the cotton -flannel and that all 
the guides are in place, and arranged as before directed, under the 
head of ^^Description of Hive'' and ^'^ Directions for Using ;" Chap- 
ters II and III. Lay down a broad plank, or planks, with one 
end considerably higher than the other, upon which a sheet may 
be spread, if desired, though not necessary. Place the brood- 
chamber on the highest end of the plank, open end down ; elevate 
the lowest side, by placing a block or stone under it, so that it will 
set about level; shake the bees down on the plank, as near the 
chamber as convenient, and they will immediately start up toward 
the brood-chamber, which they will enter with but little trouble ; 
should a small number crawl up and cluster on the side of the 
hive, let them alone, they will eventually go in. If a large num- 
ber should do so, they should be brushed down on the plank, again 
and again, till they go in. Or, the swarm may be shaken into the 
open end of the chamber, held under them. When they are all in 
replace the glass and take the chamber to the case, where it is in- 
tended it shall stand, and after opening the entrance-holes put it 
in place. 

Abetter way is to have a solid box the same size of the brood- 
chamber, with glass in one end, and two holes corresponding with 
the holes on top of the brood-chamber. I call it a swarming-box. 
The glass should be set in a frame and fastened on by the hooks, so 
that it may easily be removed and replaced. Hive a swarm in 
this as directed above. Have a hive ready on its stand, with 
brood-chamber in, honey-boxes out. The brood-chamber should 
have some comb placed in it as an inducement not to desert it. A 
sheet or two of brood-comb, taken from a full hive containing 
brood in diiferent stages of development, fitted into the sections as 
directed under the head of " Transferring,'' is a sure preventive 
against desertion, and as it can be easily taken from a hive that 



26 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

has just swarmed, there being so few bees left in it, it should 
always be done. If a box-hive, apply smoke, turn the hive up and 
cut out two or more pieces of comb, six or eight inches deep and 
wide enough to reach aci-oss the section. If a frame-hive, take out 
two frames, divide them each horizontally through the middle, 
making two pieces out of each frame, and fastening them into four 
sections, as directed under the head of ^^ Transferring and Dividing^'' 
alternating the sections containing them, with the empty sections, 
putting guides on the latter alone. 

Place the swarming-box, containing the new swarm, in the case 
on top of the brood-chamber, with the passage-holes corresponding 
and open. If the brood-chamber has the sheets of comb, with 
brood or honey in them, or empty honey-combs, the swarm will 
soon descend and take possession, when the swarming-box should 
be removed and the passage-holes closed, until the bees get fairly 
to work, when the honey-boxes may be put on. If the brood- 
chamber has no comb placed in it, it is sometimes difficult to get 
the bees to go down from the swarming-box to the brood -chamber, 
and when that is the case, it is best to hive the bees in the brood- 
chamber at once, as first directed. 

These directions apply to hiving swarms issuing from box or 
frame-hives. See next chapter for directions for managing swarms 
from section hives. 



HOW TO MANAGE A SWARM OF BEES FROM A SECTION-HIVE. 27 

i 

CHAPTER V. 

HOW TO MANAGE A SWARM OF BEES FROM A SECTION-HIVE. 

If artificial swarming be neglected, in the section bee-hive, and 
a natural swarm be thrown out, they should be immediately hived 
in a swarming-box. 

After securing the swarm in the swarming-box, proceed to take 
out the brood-chamber, from the hive that sent out the swarm, 
placing two of the honey boxes in its place, to receive such bees as 
may return while it is out. Open the brood-chamber, and take 
from it the two end-sections next to the glass, supplying their 
places with the two end-sections from the new brood-chamber, 
and return the old chamber to its place immediately, placing on it 
the two honey-boxes, used as decoys, and also the others belonging 
to it. Take out the glass from the two sections, thus obtained, 
and separate them, so that the bees that are on them, may be 
brushed oif in front of the old hive. Put the two sections in the 
new chamber, with one section between the first and the section 
containing the entrance-holes, and with two empty frames between 
them ; that is, counting from the entrance, one will be No. 3 and 
the other No. 6. Fill out the chamber complete, and close up. 
Place it in the case intended for the new swarm, and put the 
swarming-box on top of it, with the passage-holes open and cor- 
responding, and the bees will, in the course of twenty -four hours, 
go down and take possession. 

The object in giving the new swarm the two sheets of comb is, 
first, it secures the swarm from absconding to the woods ; second, 
it gives them a start, and will enable them to -store a greater 
amount of surplus honey the first year ,• third, it secures straight 
comb in all of the sections, without using the flannel, the guides 
being sufficient ; and fourth, it makes a vacancy in the parent-hive, 
which will prevent them from swarming again, as, while there is 
such an opening in their stores, they will permit but one queen to 
hatch out, destroying all the others. 

The most important advantage thus gained, is the assistance you 
give the new colony, for if it should be wet weather, for a few 



28 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

days, there is danger of the swarm perishing for want of food ; for 
although, when a swarm issues, they fill themselves with honey, 
this is used up, in the secretion of wax, to build their combs ; and 
such a drain upon their resources soon leaves them without food. 
Such timely assistance saves them. The queen immediately finds 
cells for depositing eggs. The bees daily emerging from the old 
brood-comb, add to the strength of the colony, and the result is, 
that if it is a first or "prime " swarm, you are amply compensated 
in an extra amount of surplus honey ; if an after-swarm, you secure 
them an ample store of honey, and a populous colony, strong 
enough, and rich enough, to pass the winter safely and a 
young, vigorous queen, which is sure to prove prolific, and lay the 
foundation for the most productive stock the next season. If the 
other sections are filled, or partly filled, with empty combs, even a 
" cast'' may produce a surplus the first year. 

The honey -boxes should not be put on for a week or ten days, 
or until the queen has fully established her brood-nest in the lower 
chamber ; or if put on, the communication should be cut off. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 29 

CHAPTER VI. 

ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

This is accomplished in different ways, all of which have their 
advocates, and, under certain circumstances, their advantages. It 
seems to be the opinion of all scientific and successful apiarians, 
founded on experience, that, to succeed in bee-culture, the golden 
i-ule is "Keep your colonies strong." They fm-ther agree that 
this is hardly attainable when the}' are permitted to swarm natur- 
ally. Therefore art has been resorted to and recommended by all 
of them, from Huber down to the present time. They lay down 
the following incontrovertible reasons : 

The uncertainty as to the time at which natural swarming will 
occur — very trifling causes frequently preventing it altogether. 

Among the many inconveniences to which the bee-keeper, who 
depends on natui*al swarming, is subjected, are the following: * 

First. Having to keep a strict watch over his apiary for six or 
eight weeks, and then, after all his watching and care, he has to 
endure the annoyance of seeing, perhaps his best swarms, fly away 
to the woods, with no power to arrest their flight. It is calculated 
that one-fourth of the best swarms are lost in this way. 

Second. A small number of hives need as much watching as a 
large apiary. 

Thii-d. If a great number of hives are in one collection, several 
swarms frequently issue about the same time, some going one way, 
some another ; or else, getting together, cluster in an unmanage- 
able mass. 

Fourth. Bad weather frequently prevents their swarming en- 
tirely'. 

Swarms frequently issue at times when it is important that 
something else should be attended to. 

Swarms frequently settle in places, which, if not inaccessible, 
are very inconvenient, and it is difficult to hive them. 

Colonies frequently overswarm ; in other words, too many bees 
go out w^ith the new swarm, leaving so few behind that they can 
not guard their stores, and they fall easy victims to robbers, oi- 



30 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

the moth. This frequently happens when the forenoon has been 
cloudy and rainy, keeping all the bees in the hive, and about noon 
it clears uj), the sun shines out, and the swarm will burst forth, 
carrying with them nearly the whole population. 

By taking the matter into our own hands, and carryijig it out 
judiciously, most of these inconveniences may be avoided, and we 
make the thing .sure. We make just sucli swarms, and just as 
many, as we want — make them as strong as we want, and keep 
them so. 

By the aid of the section beediive, when the projier time ar- 
rives, you can go to work, and in a few days take a swarm from 
every hive that can spare one, and repeat it as often as necessary 
or advisable. 

I have herein given minute directions for performing the ojjera- 
tion in a variety of ways, and even though you should only prac- 
tice the easiest methods, a study of the others will convey to you 
a great deal of valuable information, which you might not obtain 
as easily in any other way. 

Artificial swarming, as a general rule, should not be attempted 
un*il the yield of honey is abundant, in the spring, and the drones 
liave made their appearance in the hive from which the sw^arm is 
to be taken; and the stock should be populous enough to admit of 
the loss of a sulRcient number of bees to form the new colony, and 
still leave enough to cover the unhatched brood, and keej) them 
Avarm, and to protect their stores. 



DRIVING, "DRUMMING," OR FORCED SWARMING. 31 



CHAPTER VII. 

DRIVING, "DRUMMING," OR FORCED SWARMING. 

This is resorted to when the stock is in a common box-hive, or 
any hive without movable combs. A part of the bees, with the 
old queen, is driven, and those remaining will rear a new queen, 
either from a queen-cell already formed, or from worker-brood not 
yet capped over. If there is no queen-cell, nor any uncapped 
worker-brood, they will fail to raise a queen, and unless furnished 
with a queen, or the means of rearing one, the stock will not sur- 
vive the season; but if the operation is performed at the jjroper 
time, there is no difSculty about this, as they are always either 
queen-cells, or young brood, or both, at that time. 

One-half of the bees should be driven out to form the new colony 
—some say three-fourths. The stock in the old hive will soon be 
as strong as ever, from the young bees daily emerging from their 
cells, and in ten days, or less, they will have a young queen, who 
will soon be in condition to deposit a new supply of eggs. 

The new hive being ready to receive the swarm, a "driving- 
box," or, as it is sometimes called, a ••drumming-box," is prejDared 
of a size and sliape to fit the open end of the old hive, or nearly 
so. The swarming-box may be used when it is of the jirojier 
size. 

Blow some smoke from tobacco, cotton rags, or burning wood, 
in among the bees, to drive them from the entrance, and uj) among 
the combs. Eemove the hive from its stand, and turn it upside 
down in some convenient place, some distance from its old stand, 
in the shade. On its stand place the case of the hive intended for 
the new swarm. Blow more smoke among the bees, to drive them 
well down among the comb, and cut out a piece of comb, with 
brood in it if possible, large enough to fill a section of a honey- 
box. Have the box open, and fit it into one of the sections, about 
the center of the box, leaving holes at each upper corner, and 
under the l)ottom, for the j)assage of the bees. Close the box, and 
place it in the case, with the passage-hole over one of the entrance- 
holes. If the bees are numerous, one box may not be sufficient to 



32 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

hold the returning bees ; if so, another box should be placed over 
the first, with the communication open. The bees, returning from 
the fields, will enter the box, or boxes, so placed, cluster on the 
comb so furnished, and remain till wanted. 

Now, place over the old hive the driving-box, closing any open- 
ings there may be between the box and hive with rags, or b}' 
wrapping a cloth around them where they join. 

With a small stick in each hand, rap, in quick time, on the sides 
of the hive, but not so hard as to endanger the comb by breaking, 
or detaching it. Continue to rap until the humming in the 
driving-box indicates that enough bees have gone uj), which will 
general!}" require fifteen or twenty minutes ; now raise the box, 
and look in to see if the swarm is large enough. There had better 
be too many than too few" ; for, if more are driven out than you 
want, a part of them can be returned. 

When your swarm is large enough, take off the driving-box, 
and place the old hive by the side of the section-case, not farther 
oft' than two or three feet. The queen should be in the driving- 
box with the new swarm. If she is not, they will soon become 
restless, and it will be necessary to drive again. But if over half 
of the bees are driven out, she will, nine times in ten, be with 
them. 

The new swarm may now be hived in the brood-chamber of the 
section hive, as directed for natural swarms, from the swarming- 
box. The honey -box, used as a " decoy," should now be opened, 
and the bees emptied out in front of the old hive, which they will 
enter. The same box and piece of comb will answer for other 
swarms, to be driven immediately. 

When it can be done conveniently, the brood-chamber should 
be used instead of the driving-box, only, instead of taking out the 
glass, remove the wooden back at the other end, leaving the glass 
in, that you may observe the bees as they pass up, and be able to 
see when the proper number of bees have gone into it. By re- 
placing the back, it is ready to be put in the case, thus saving the 
trouble of hiving from the driving-box. 

To ascertain whether the queen is with the new swarm, set the 
driving-box over a dark cloth, or other black substance, for half 
an hour, and if she is among them, she will have dropjied a number 
of eggs, which may be readily seen. This should be ascertained 
before hiving them in the brood-chamber. If the queen is not 



DRIVING. '• DRUMMING, ■ OR FORCED SWARMING. 33 

with them, they will leave the new hive, in an hour or two, and 
return to the old hive. This may be prevented by taking a section 
or tAvo containing uncapped brood, from a section hive, and plac- 
ing them in the new brood-chamber before introducing the bees. 
If this can not be had, comb, containing young brood, may be 
taken from the old hive, and inserted as directed in next chapter. 

If the old hive be large and heavy, the bees may be driven out 
without inverting it. by removing the top of the hive, and pro- 
ceeding as above. 

The}' nisij be driven any time of the day or night, but drive 
better in the afternoon, when they are tired by going abroad. If 
it is intended to make a second artificial swarm from the same old 
stock, it should not be done sooner than four weeks, as that time 
will be required for the new queen to be hatched, fertilized, and 
to fill the brood-combs with eggs. 



34 NEW sYSTE^r op bee-keeping. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

TRANSFERRING AND DIVIDING. 

Bees may be transferred from the box-hive to the section -hive, 
with their comb, brood, and hone}— and where the old hive con- 
tains enough bees and brood, in the jiroper condition, the stock 
may be divided into two, or more colonies. Transferring, without 
dividing, may be performed at any time from early spring till 
autumn ; but early in the spring is the best time, as then most of 
the comb is empty and light, and the bees are few in number. 

To do this, proceed as directed, in last chapter, for '^ Driving^ or 
Forced Srcarming" except, instead of driving only a part of the bees, 
drive all you can. After you remove the driving-box, and place 
it so that the bees may not escape, proceed to take out the comb 
carefully, so as not to injure the brood that may be in it. Have 
the sections of the brood-chamber prepared for holding it, by 
placing in them, perpendicularly — and even with one edge of the 
bottom and top-pieces- — small wooden strips, about one-fourth of an 
inch square, cut the len^^th of the side-pieces of the sections, and 
fastened with sprigs through their tops and bottoms — two to each 
section, about three and a half inches from each side. Annealed 
wire — about the size of a very coarse knitting-kneedle, run through 
holes in the top and bottom-pieces, about one-fourth of an inch 
from the edge — tiiree to each section, and bent so as to hold them 
steady — is better, and can be drawn out. when necessar}', without 
opening the brood-chamber. Place your sections on a table, or 
board, with the edges, having the strips in, down. 

Cut the comb the width of the sections — a little larger, if any 
ditference — so that it will fit tightly against the sides, and about 
three-fourths of an inch narrower than the depth of the sections, 
which may be done readily, by having a pattern, made of a thin 
board, which may be laid down on the comb, and cut around with 
a sharp knife. As each piece is cut, place it in a section, being 
careful to place the same edge up that Avas up in the old hive. 
Push it up lirmly against the top-piece, and having a strip of wood, 
three-eighths of an inch thick, and half an inch wide, cut to tit 



TRANSFERRING AND DIVIDING. 35 

closely between the two side-pieces ; press it up firmly against the 
bottom of the comb, and fasten it by sprigs, or tacks, from the out- 
side. This will leave a space of three-eighths of an inch, or a 
little more, between the strip and the bottom-piece, for the bees 
to pass under. A hole, about one-half inch in diameter, should be 
cut in each upper corner of the comb, and two others down each 
side, at equal distances, as such passages are necessary, and it will 
save the bees the trouble of cutting them. 

Your comb is now held in by the strips on one side and bottom. 
Put in on the other side, which is up, two strips like the first, on 
the comb, and sprig them in from top and bottom, or insert three 
wires, as before directed, and the comb is secured in its place. 

To accommodate the small pieces of comb, strips, like the bottom- 
strip above described, may be placed across the sections wherever 
needed to hold them. Two or three may be used in one section, 
but where there are enough large pieces to fill the sections, the 
small pieces should be saved for guide-combs, and such as are new 
and white should be placed in the honey-boxes, unless they have 
brood in them. Leave out all the drone-comb, except a piece as 
large as your hand — more than that would be a positive injury. 

In handling the combs, be careful not to mash the .young brood ; 
and when a queen-cell is found, be careful not to injure it, but place 
it carefully in the sections, so that it will not be covered by any of 
the strips or wires, and if on the edge, see that it is not crowded 
against the side-pieces, or against other pieces of comb. 

When seven sections are filled (if you wish to divide the colony), 
arrange them in the chamber, adding the two outside ones empty. 
Leave out the glass. If there is enough material to fill two, or 
to give each of them five or six sections so filled, arrange both of 
them, giving to each of them queen-cells, and uncapped larvae, out 
of which to rear a queen. Place each of them on a wide board, or 
cloth (in a house is preferable) ; empty half of the bees from the 
driving-box, and decoy -boxes, in front of the open end of each of 
them, and they will, in a few minutes, enter, when the glass should 
be put in, and both chambers placed in the same case, one on top* 
of the other, with the passages between them open. Close the 
entrance-holes of the case with wire gauze, or something that will 
admit air, but not the passage of a bee, to prevent robbers taking 
advantage of the disorganized state of the hives. Keep them sO' 
closed for twenty -four hours, by which time the bees will have 



36 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

cleaned up all the dripping honey, and will have distributed them- 
selves over the combs in both chambers, preparatory to nursing 
the young brood ; then the lower chamber should be removed to 
another case, set by the side of the first, and the honey -boxes 
placed on each. 

If one hive seem to have more bees than the other, after they 
have been separated twenty-four hours, move the hive having the 
most bees half its width to one side, and place the other hive by 
its side, putting a division-board between them, so as to project a 
foot in front, in order to equalize the colonies. If this does not do 
it, move the strongest hive two feet further, and place the other on 
its stand. If still too unequal, move the strongest hive some dis- 
tance off. 

After three or four days, the combs will be all attached to the 
sections, so as to support themselves, when the chamber should be 
opened, and the side-strips taken out, leaving the bottom, or cross- 
strip, in. 

When there is not enough comb to fill out all the sections, it is 
better to fill all of them one-half or two-thirds full, than to fill 
one-half or two-thirds of them full, leaving the others empty. It 
is easily done, by cutting the comb of that depth, and placing the 
bottom, or cross-strips, under it as directed. The bees will con- 
tinue the sheets down, and finish them out. 



TO TRANSFER FROM A FRAME TO THE SECTION-HIVE. 37 



CHAPTER IX. 

TO TRANSFER FROM A FRAME-HIVE TO THE SECTION-HIVE. 

Bees and stores may be transferred from any of the movable 
frame-hives to the section-hive by placing the frames, full of comb- 
honey and brood, in the sections, and fastening them to the top 
and side-pieces, by sprigs, or small finishing nails, from the out- 
side ; first making holes with a sprig-awl, so as to not jar the 
comb by too heavy driving. The projections of the frames should 
be sawed ofi" with a fine tenon-saw, and if the frames are too deep ^ 
or too wide, to go inside the sections, a part of the frame may be 
sawed off, taking off the bottom or side-bar and so much of the 
comb as may be necessary. Be careful to leave near a half-inch 
space under the bottom, and to cut holes in each upper corner 
of the comb, for the passage of the bees. 

If you wish to divide the swarm at the same time, divide each of 
the combs horizontally through the middle, and place a half-sheet 
in each section, proper side up. To divide them, cut them straight 
through the middle, and saw the side-bars in two ; place them in 
the sections, and in putting the chambers together, let the top and 
bottom-i3ieces of comb alternate with each other. Most movable 
frame-hives have ten frames, and as the section-hive has but nine? 
there will be one frame left ; to obviate this put in two full frames 
and divide the other eight, which will just fill the eighteen sec- 
tions. If there should be twelve frames, put in six whole sections 
and divide the other six. 

As each frame is taken out, the bees should be brushed back 
into the hive, and if the queen is found, she should be caught and 
placed under a tumbler, or in a cage, until wanted. If any queen- 
cells should be found, one of them, as also some uncapped worker- 
cells, should be given to one of the new colonies, and the queen to 
the other. 

Give to each of the chambers about one-half of the bees, by 
emptying them before the new chambers, with the glass out. Put 
in the glass, and place each chamber in a separate case, each case 
occupying half the space occupied by the old hive. Close the 



38 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

entrance-holes as before directed, until the dripping honey is 
cleaned up, and equalize the hees, as under the head oi '■'■ Transfer- 
ring and Dividing" page 34. 

The side-supporting strips, or wires, should be used to hold the 
combs in place, unless the frames fit the sections firmly, and the 
bottom-bar of the frames should always be taken off, and a cross- 
strip placed under the sheet of comb, and nailed through the sides, 
as directed under the last head, page 34. 



HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY " DIVIDING." 39 

CHAPTER X. 

HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY « DIVIDING." 

First Method. 

Having your bees in the section-hive, this becomes a very sim- 
ple operation. In order that your sections may be used in any 
hive, they should all be of the same dimensions, so that a section 
ft-om any hive will exactly fit any other section, in any other hive. 

Puff, or blow smoke into the entrance (driving in all of the bees 
lying out), until the bees are subdued, but not enough to sicken 
them. Have four pieces of tin, five by fourteen inches ; insert one 
piece of tin under each pile of honey-boxes, between the box and 
brood-chamber ; thus cutting off any bees that may be in the hon- 
ey-boxes. Insert the other two pieces under the first'two ; draw 
out each pile of boxes, with one piece of tin under it, to keep the 
hole closed, leaving the other pieces to cover the holes in the 
brood-chamber ; set the honey -boxes in a secure place, keeping the 
bees imprisoned ; take out the brood-chamber, and place in its 
stead, two empty honey -boxes to receive the returning bees. "With 
a knife, or sharp instrument, inserted between the sections, open 
the chamber, between the fourth and fifth sections, counting from 
the back or entrance. Before it is opened wide enough for the bees 
to escape, blow in a profusion of smoke, to drive the bees behind 
the comb. If there are young larvae, or brood, in the combs, when 
divided, the nursing bees will not leave — the others will. Now 
separate the two parts and fill out each with empty sections. The 
one having the largest number of full sections should have two 
new sections placed on each end. The open end should have the 
entrance, or back section, with back in, and a plain section put on 
it, and the glass should be removed from the other end (first dip- 
ping a cloth in very warm water, and applying it to the edge, of the 
glass to soften the propolis or glue with which the bees have fast- 
ened it), smoking the bees back when sufficient opening is made 
to blow the smoke in, and the other two sections added with the 
glass in the last one. Fill out the other chamber with empty sec- 
tions, with glass in the last one. Guides should be placed in the 
empty sections of the first chamber, if you have no guide-combs. 



40 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

In the latter, unless at least two out of the five have pieces of comb 
as guides, each section should, in addition to the guides, be cov- 
ered with the cotton-flannel. 

Place one of the chambers in a case about two feet to the right 
of the old stand, with half of the honey-boxes, and one " decoy- 
box," on it. Put the other in a case, two feet to the left, with the 
remaining honey -boxes, and the other " decoy -box," on it. To 
equalize the swarms, proceed as directed under the head of " Trans- 
ferring and Dividing^'' pag© 34. This is the simplest, and easiest 
plan of making artificial swarms, causing little disturbance to the 
bees, and no handling of the honey or combs. In this resjiect the 
section bee-hive has a great advantage over the popular frame- 
hives. 

You thus have two colonies, each hive partly filled with comb, 
brood and honey. One of them has the queen, and if the opera- 
tion has been performed at the proper time, as Huber says, "the 
probability is there will be ^ royal brood' coming forward in the 
other ; at all events there will be plenty of eggs and larvae of the 
proper age, for forming an artificial queen." 

In this latitude (Kentucky), the first division may generally be 
made in the latter part of April, or first of May, which depends on 
the season being favorable. The appearance of the drones in the 
hive indicates the proper time, and if honey be abundant the 
chambers of both hives will be filled in from twelve to twenty 
days, when the one having the queen may be again divided, and 
the other in four weeks from the time of dividing; thus making four 
from one. If the honey-harvest is good, and continues long, a 
third division may be ventured on, if the increase of bees is more 
desired than the honey ; for if you expect your bees to store much 
honey, you must be content with one or two divisions. 

If the old stock is very strong, it may be divided into three 
equal parts, at the first division. If not so strong, five may be 
made from two, giving to the divisions, containing the entrance- 
holes, three sections each, and to the others four sections each. 

Second Method of Dividing. 

Proceed to take out the honey -boxes, and brood-chamber, as 
directed. Place an empty brood-chamber, or the swarming-box, 
in the case. Have a wide board, six or eight feet long, and jjlace 
it in front on the hive, with one end on the alighting-board j but 



HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY "DIVIDING." 41 

not so as to close the entrance holes ; the other end on the ground. 
On this spread a sheet, or white cloth. Place the brood-chamber 
on the outer end of the board, and proceed to open it ; meanwhile 
quieting the bees with smoke ; but, instead of only opening it in 
the middle, separate all of the sections, beginning at the glass 
front, or end. Take them off, one at a time, and brush the bees off 
on the sheet; the first, near the entrance of the old case, so that 
they will go up and into it ; or, you may dislodge the bees from the 
comb, if it is not too new, with a quick downward shake, holding 
the comb perpendicularly, to prevent breaking it. 

Keep a strict watch for the queen, both before and after shaking the 
bees off, as the object you have in view is to catch her. The bees 
will crawl up the inclined board, and enter the case containing the 
empty brood-chamber, or swarming-box. ISTotice them carefully, 
and if you see her on the sheet, turn a glass tumbler over her. If 
you find her on a piece of comb, either catch her in your hand, or 
shake her off on the sheet, and secure her with the tumbler. If the 
queen is found before you clear all of the comb of bees, the others 
need not be looked over, nor the bees dislodged. 

Now construct out of the sections two brood-chambers. In one 
of them place two sheets of comb ; one of them mostly filled with 
brood ; the other with some honey in it, and fill out with new 
sections, with flannel covering, and guides on, as before directed, 
or with pieces of spare comb in each, or better still, filled with 
empty comb. In this place the queen. 

Put the remaining full sections in the other chamber, filling out 
with two empty sections, with guides alone, or comb in them. 

Take out the decoy-chamber, or swarming-box, from the case, 
and place therein the chamber containing the queen, and put all 
of the honey-boxes on it. Put the other chamber in a case to one 
side, about two feet off, and on it the swarming-box, or decoy- 
chamber, with the passage-holes open, so that the bees may pass 
down into the brood-chamber containing the combs. When they 
have all gone down, take off the swarming-box, and j)ut on honey- 
boxes. To equalize the swarms, proceed as directed under head of 
" Transferring and Dividing," page 34. 

After both hives are arranged, there will be, likely, some bees 
left on the sheet, too young to find their ,way up to the old hive; 
they should be emptied at the entrance of the new hive, which they 
will enter. 



42 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

Third Method of Dividing. 

Having three, or more, colonies in section hives, take two filled 
sections from each, until you get six or eight, brushing oflf the bees, 
so that none of the hives may be robbed of their queens. Fill 
their places with new sections. Construct from them, and such new 
sections as are needed, a full size brood-chamber. 

Eemove the brood-chamber from an old and populous colony 
and put the new chamber in its place ; or, if not a section hive 
remove the hive from its stand a rod, or more. When the bees are 
flying out freely, place the chamber in a new case in its place, and 
the returning bees will make the new colony. Equalize, as before 
directed. 

The bees, to form the new colony, may be furnished in another 
way — without drawing so heavily on the population of any one hive — 
as follows: Examine your strongest colonies, and you will find a 
number of the empty and partly filled honey -boxes full of beesj 
and jipparently idle. These are mostly young bees. Take one box 
each, out of four hives, and, after smoking them, so as to destroy 
their natural scent, and make them all smell alike, put them in 
place over the newly constructed chamber, and they will soon go 
down, and take possession. Confine them, by closing the entrance- 
holes with wire gauze, for two days, and they will remain perfectly 
satisfied. If you think there are not enough bees, you can add more 
when they have gone down from the first boxes. 

Let me particularly caution you not to neglect to smoke the boxes 
of bees before putting them together. If this is neglected, a gen- 
eral battle will ensue, in which many bees will be destroyed. If a 
little smoke is blown into each of the boxes, they will be all of one 
Bcent, and unite peaceably. 

This is a little more troublesome than the other methods de- 
scribed, but has some advantages over either of them. Two combs 
taken from each old stock, will not seriously disturb them, but they 
will use extra exertion to fill up the gap, and continue to work in 
the honey -boxes: you at once set up a colony, with nearly full- 
brood-chamber, and if the bees are furnished by means of the 
honey -boxes, thej^ are already, perhaps, storing surplus honey. 

It may be repeated with the same hives, every eight or ten days 
during the honey season. On the tenth day the new colony may 
be divided, if no queen-cells were given it, when first made, as by 



HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY "DIVIDING." 43 

that time there will be a number of finished royal-cells. Each 
sheet of comb, having such a cell, can be taken out and combined 
with two or more filled sections from other hives, and a suiRcient 
number of empty sections to form a new chamber — the requisite 
bees being furnished by means of the honey -boxes, as before, or by 
removing an old hive from its stand a rod or two, and placing the 
new hive in its place. 

Mow to make Three Artificial Swarms hy Opening but One Hive. 

"When the drones first make their appearance in the hive, take 
out the brood-chamber, put the swarming-box in the case, with 
the passage-holes corresponding to the entrance-holes, to receive 
the returning bees. Open the brood-chamber, and separate the 
sections one by one ; brush off all the bees from each sheet of 
comb, as they are taken out, in front of the old case, that they 
may enter the swarming-box. Have three new hives, with brood- 
chambers. When two sections are cleared of bees, open one of the 
new chambers, and take out two empty sections — the third and 
sixth (counting from the entrance) — and place the two full sec- 
tions in their places, and close it up without any bees. Take two 
more out of the old chamber, and in the same way insert them in 
a second new chamber, and so with the third. You will now have 
three sections left. The bees need not be brushed from them, but 
they should be combined with the six empty sections taken from 
the three new chambers, occupying the position of first, fifth, and 
ninth — that is, the two end sections, and the center one. Have 
your comb -guides and flannel covering on all the empty frames, 
or have at least three, in each chamber, supplied with pieces of 
empty comb, and guides on the others. 

Place the last chamber formed in the old case, on the old stand. 
Give it all the bees from the swarming-box, and place on it the 
honey-boxes. 

Place each of the other chambers in a separate case. Eemove 
from their stands three of your most populous colonies to some 
distance — the farther the better — and set in their places the three 
new hives. The returning bees will soon fill them, and go to work 
to rear for themselves a queen, either by hatching out such queens 
as may be in embryo, or out of the uncovered larvae or eggs in the 
comb. If there is neither in any of them, the thing will be a 



44 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

failure, which should be noticed while performing the operation ; 
but if performed at the proper time, either one or the other, or 
both, will be present. 

The great trouble about this method is, that the bees will, while 
they are queenless, build only drone-comb ; and at the end of ten 
or twelve days, it will be necessary to open all of them, and cut 
out all of the new comb, except a strip about one inch wide, across 
the top of each section. This comb should be carefully handled, 
and saved, to be placed in the honey -boxes, as it is as good as any 
for storing surj)lus honey. 

If you have surplus queens in nuclei, or finished queen-cells, 
which you could give the new colonies, it would prevent the build- 
ing of drone-comb. 



NUCLEUS SWARMING. 45 



CHAPTER XI. 

NUCLEUS SWARMING 



" In swarming bees on this system, we first rear a queen in a 
small cluster — nucleus — of bees, allowing the nucleus-hive to re- 
main in its place until the queen becomes fertile, when we swarm 
the bees, by simply causing the two hives to exchange places. 
Unlike natural swarming, the old queen remains in the parent 
stock, and its labors go on scarcely interrupted." — King — [^Bee-Keej)- 
ers' Text Book. 

By means of the section bee-hive, this method of artificial 
swarming is easily performed. Take off the honey-boxes, and 
remove the brood-chamber, as before directed. Place the swarm- 
ing -box in the case. Open the brood-chamber, and select a section 
containing uncapped worker-cells in abundance ; also, a section 
containing some honey ; but have no queen-cell in either. Brush 
the bees from each of them, to be certain you do not get the queen ; 
or, if there are not too many bees on them, look them carefully 
over to see that she is not amojig them. 

Put the two sections together, and add to them the two end sec- 
tions, empty, with back and glass in ; thus forming the nucleus- 
chamber of four sections. Put on side-strips, of the proper length, 
and fastened together. Stop the passage-holes in the top. Ee- 
move the swarming -box from the old case, and put the nucleus- 
chamber in its place, and let it remain on the old stand. 

Insert two empty sections, with guides on, in the brood-chamber, 
in place of the two removed, with a full section between, and place 
it with the honey -boxes in a new case, about two feet to one side 
of the nucleus-hive. Insert plugs in the entrance-holes of the 
nucleus-hive, so as to fill them up, leaving room for only one or 
two bees to pass at a time. Enough bees will go into it to nurse 
the young brood, and will immediately commence constructing 
queen-cells, and rear a queen as soon, as certainly, and as well, as 
a whole swarm. 

In ten days open the nucleus-chamber, and you will find that 
the bees have completed and capped over a number of royal-cells. 



4*6 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

With a shai'p, thin-bladed knife, cut out all of the queen-cells but 
one, and use them in forming other nuclei, by inserting each of 
them in a sheet of brood-comb, taken from an old stock, which, 
together with a sheet of comb containing honey, and seven empty 
sections, may be formed into a chamber, and placed in the case 
from which the combs were taken, as before directed. In cutting 
out the queen-cells, cut out with each about one inch square of 
comb surrounding it, and by cutting a hole of the same size, in the 
comb into which you intend to insert it, it may be put in, and the 
bees will fasten it properly. Be sure not to injure the queen-cell, 
by pressing with the fingers; nor to expose it to the hot sun, nor 
to the cool air, too long, or you may kill her ; and when you insert 
it in the comb, leave an open space around and below the point of 
the cell, or the bees may so wax it to the comb around it, that she 
can not get out. 

After cutting out the surplus queen-cells, open the parent hive 
again, and take from it another section containing brood, and add 
it to the nucleus ; for by the time the young queen emerges from 
her cell, and goes out on her nuptial excursion, all the brood in the 
nucleus-hive will be hatched, and the bees having no brood to 
nurse, may swarm out with her, and you may lose the swarms ; but 
by adding other brood, for them to nurse, you will prevent it, for 
they will not desert young brood.^ Now add sufficient sections, 
either empty, or containing comb, if you have it, to form the cham- 
ber of full length, letting the empty sections alternate with those 
containing brood and stores. Close it up and replace in the case. 

Let it stand for ten or twelve days, by which time the new queen 
will have emerged from her cell, and become fertilized. Now, when 
the bees are flying out freely, take the brood-chamber containing 
the nucleus colony, and place it in the case of the parent hive, put- 
ting the brood-chamber of the parent stock in the case vacated by 
the new colony; in other words, let the two chambers, or the cases 
and all, if of the same color, or appearance, change places. The 
bees, returning, will soon fill up the new colony to the required 
strength. If, after three or four days, the nucleus-swarm seems to 
be weak, the pai-ent stock may be removed to a new stand, some 
distance off, and the new colony set half-way between the two 
former stands ; or it may be strengthened by young bees in honey- 
boxes, taken from the most populous hives, about sundown. These 
should be placed in an empty case, with the passage-holes over the 



NUCLEUS SWARMING. 47 

entrance-holes, until about sunrise next morning, by which time 
all of the old bees will have left them, and only the young bees re- 
main, when they should be slightly smoked, and after puffing a lit- 
tle smoke into the brood -chamber, they may be placed on the new 
colony. 

Each of the other nuclei formed by inserting the queen-cells 
taken from the first, should be treated, in every particular, like the 
first — that is, after the queens become fertilized, which will be in 
ten or twelve days; they should be shifted in the same manner. 

When the system of "nucleus" swarming is adopted, or, in fact, 
any of the methods named, sufficient nuclei should be kept on 
hand to furnish queen-cells, or queens, to all queenless colonies, when 
made. This is important, if Mr. Quinby is correct, when he says 
that by the introduction of a fertile queen " the time gained in 
breeding is equivalent to a swarm;" and when we also remember 
that during the time a colony is queenless, the bees build only drone - 
comb, which, unless removed, will breed an unnecessary number 
of drones. 

Never introduce queen-cells until they are completed and sealed 
over, for strange bees will be apt to destroy them. 

Never give more than one queen-cell to a colony, for both com- 
ing out will create an unnecessary strife, which will prevent the 
fertilizing of the queen, until she has disposed of her rivals, and in 
the contest the surviving queen may be so disabled as to be useless. 

If honey is not abundant when the swarming is done, it is best 
to furnish the' bees required by means of the honey-boxes, after 
smoking them and the brood-chamber ; for when honey is scarce, 
bees are more quarrelsome, and are more apt to get up a fight, and 
even sting the queen to death, when suddenly thrown into her do- 
minions forthe first time. For this reason, most writers recommend 
catching the queen and caging her, before introducing, strange 
bees into her hive. While this is troublesome, and interferes with 
her laying, it is unnecessary when young bees can be had in the 
honey-boxes. 

[See, under head of '* How to Catch the Queen,'' page 51, for other 
hints on this subject.] 



48 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 



CHAPTER XII. 

HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY "COLONIZING." 

First Method. 

Having a queen reared in a nucleus, or from any other source, 
have the tinner to make you a cage for her, seven-eighths of an 
inch deep, and one-and-a-half or two inches square. Have the 
sides of tin, and a bottom made of wire-cloth, not so fine but that 
a bee can put its proboscis through the meshes to feed the queen, 
or of wire not less than eight to the inch ; leave the top open. Or 
make a cage yourself of a piece of wire-cloth, three by four inches 
square, formed into a tube, by rolling it around a round stick and 
tying it firmly with small wire (strings or thread are apt to be cut 
away by the bees), and i)utting a cork stopper in each end. 

Take from a section-hive, a section containing brood, the older 
the better, but no queen-cell ; also a section containing some honey. 
Brush all the bees off, leaving the naked comb. Place the queen 
on the honey-comb ; place the cage over her, and press it into the 
comb until it touches the middle partition of the comb. The cage 
will stand out less than half an inch. The queen can move under 
this cover with ease, and the bees can not reach hpr to sting her. 
Fill out the chamber with empty sections, or with sections having 
in them any spare comb you may have, and close it up with side- 
strips, and glass in. Stop the bee-passages above. If you use the 
round cage, place the queen in it, and after comj)leting the cham- 
ber, suspend her, through one of the upper passage-holes, between 
the two sheets of comb, end down. 

Eemove the brood-chamber and honey-boxes from a populous 
stock, to a new case some distance off, and put the colonizing 
chamber in its place. All the bees that are out foraging, and 
many that go out afterward, will return to the old stand and form 
the colony. There will be some confusion among them for a few 
days, when they will become reconciled and go to work, satisfied 
with the new order of things, as if nothing had happened. At 
the end of two days, if the confusion is over, the queen must be 
liberated. If in the square cage, and placed on the face of the comb 
next to the glass, the glass can be taken out and the cage removed j 



HOW TO MAKE SWARMS BY "COLONIZING." 49 

if in the round cage, it can be drawn up through the passage-hole, 
the cork removed, and the queen permitted to escape through the 
passage-hole. 

If you wish to make a very strong colony, give it also one-half, 
or all, of the honey -boxes, with the bees in them, which, in this 
instance, need not be smoked, as the bees are all of one scent. 

The hive should be opened and examined, in about a week after 
the queen is liberated, and all queen-cells destroyed, as the bees 
may begin the construction of royal-cells while she is imprisoned ; 
and unless they are removed, they may hatch out, and cause the 
bees to swarm out with the old queen. This is not, however, im- 
portant, as such a thing does not often happen, and, even if it 
should, will not destroy the colony, but, if late in the season, may 
so weaken it, that it will not recover before winter, unless the 
swarm should be returned, or more bees added from the honey- 
boxes, or by taking full sections and bees from other hives, and 
strengthening them by inserting them. 

Second Method of " Colonizing." 

Select two or more sections, containing brood just hatching. 
Brush off the bees. Add enough empty sections, or sections con- 
taining empty comb, to fill out the chamber. Have a queen ready^ 
and drop her in at one of the passage-holes, and close the en- 
trances and passage-holes, so that she can not escape ; for having 
no bees with her, she will try to get out at first. Add young bees 
from the honey-boxes. Take them off the hives about sun-down, 
and place them in a case, with the passage-holes over the entrance- 
holes, until about sun-rise next morning, by which time all of the 
old bees will have gone out, and only young bees be left, when the 
boxes should be placed on the new colony. This should be done 
the evening before the colony is made, so as to have them ready, 
and they should be slightly smoked before introducing them to the 
brood-chamber. 

The object in this method, is to form the new colony entirely of 
young bees, as they will not quarrel with each other, nor sting the 
queen ; and there is no necessity for using the cage. 

The only danger in this method is, that robbers may take ad- 
vantage of their defenseless condition. To prevent this, the en- 
trances should be entirely closed, as before directed, for twenty -four 
4 



50 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

hours, and then only a part of one hole opened, so that only one or 
two bees can pass at a time, and a watch kept over them for a few 
days, until they get strong. 

This method should not be attempted, except when the bees are 
collecting plenty of honey, as bees never rob when they can get 
honey honestly. 



HOW TO CATCH THE QUEEN. 51 

CHAPTER XIII. 

HOW TO CATCH THE QUEEN. 

Smoke and take out the brood-chamber. Divide it, as directed 
■under " First Method of Dividing,'' giving four sections to the end 
containing the entrance — five to the other end. Add a section with 
glass to the former ; add a section with back and holes to the latter. 
Keep the passage-holes closed. Set each of the new chambers, so 
formed, in a new case, each occupying half the space occupied by 
the old case. 

In a little while, the uneasiness shown by the colony having no 
queen will assure you where the queen is. Take out the chamber 
having the queen ; divide it in the middle as before, closing up 
each part with the appropriate end-section. Put one back into 
the case from which it was taken — the other into another case by its 
side. You will soon again discover where the queen is. You now 
have either six or seven sections, without a queen, which may be 
set apart, after filling out the chamber, as a new colony, and just 
ready to receive a queen from a nucleus, or by introducing an 
Italian or Egyptian queen, you may make an Italian or Egyptian 
swarm ; or, if they are left alone, they will rear for themselves a 
new queen. 

If you want to catch the queen, open the two or three sections, 
in which she is, and she may be easily found in so small a com- 
pass; or you may proceed, as before, until you have her on a single 
comb. 

The queen, with the two or three sections, may be set up, after 
filling out the chamber, as a new colony on the old stand, equal- 
izing, as before directed, but so as to give her most of the bees. 

The chamber may be divided into three parts at first, thus 
getting the queen out of six sections at one operation, which may 
be united as before. 

This is a great advantage the section bee-hive has over any 
other, as we do not have to handle and examine more than one- 
third to one-ninth as many combs to find the queen, and the bees 
in the queenless parts are not much disturbed by the operation. 



52 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

This is the safest plan to get comb and brood, with bees to form 
a nucleus, for the purpose of raising queens, and may be used 
instead of the mode pointed out under the head of ^^ Nucleus 
Sivarining,'^ page 45. Two or three full sections of brood and 
honey are enough to give to the queen, to form her colony. Each 
of the others, having unsealed worker -brood, may be used to form 
a separate nucleus. 

The sections having no queen, if set up in a new chamber, will 
proceed to rear queens — not one, but from six to twenty. In ten 
days they will be nearly ready to hatch. Take three other hives, 
and divide them into three parts each, as in the " First Method of 
Dividing^'' page 39, and ascertain which parts are queenless. 
Do this in the afternoon. Next morning give to each of the 
queenless parts a section containing a queen-cell, and fill out to a 
full chamber. In nine cases out of ten, this queen-cell will be 
received by the bees, and will soon hatch, and produce a strong 
colony, which may be further strengthened by transferring bees in 
the honey -boxes. 

All of the different modifications of artificial swarming may be 
performed more readily with this as a basis, and with less annoy- 
ance to the bees, than when they are brushed and shaken about. 

It renders Italianizing an easy thing. Having one hive Italian- 
ized, you can reduce the queen to one sheet of comb ; and taking 
the other eight sheets, in ten days you can have eight Italian col- 
onies. To the one sheet, on which is the Italian queen, add nine 
sections filled with comb, either empty, or from common stocks, 
with some empty cells, which she will soon fill with her eggs, and 
in ten days the ojjeration may be repeated. 

Grive to the eight new Italian colonies empty comb, or partly 
filled comb, and a strong force of bees, and in three weeks the 
game operation may be performed with each of them. 

Any section having in it more than one queen-cell, should be 
reduced to one, by cutting out the others, with about one inch 
square of comb. Take a center-frame, containing brood, from a 
hive of common bees, and cut a hole in it two inches in diameter. 
Dip the edges of the piece of comb containing the queen-cell, into 
melted wax, and insert it in the hole in the section, and adding two 
or three sections, containing black bees and brood — but having no 
other queen-cells in them — form them into a full-size chamber, with 
empty sections ; thus Italianizing a hive with each queen-cell, with 
less trouble than on any other plan. 



LAYING WORKERS. 53 



CHAPTER XIV. 

LAYING WORKERS. 

All modern authors agree, that when a colony of bees loses its 
queen, and there is no unhatched queen to supply her place, and 
there are no uncapped worker-cells, from which they can rear a 
queen, that there is frequently, if not always, found among the 
workers, one or more bees capable of laying eggs; but as the worker 
is physically incapable of being fertilized, that the eggs laid by 
them, hatch out and develoj) drone bees. It does not matter in 
what sort of cells the eggs are deposited, no worker or queen can 
be produced among her offspring consequently, when the bees die 
off, as they will in a few months, the stock becomes extinct. 

Whether they are really workers whose productive organs are 
more developed than the others, or in fact queens, whose organs 
of generation are imperfectly developed, or that have not become 
fertilized, and on that account look like workers, is not important, 
while we know that the fact exists. 

Heretofore, there has been no remedy suggested, by which the 
stock can be saved, as, while the laying worker is in the hive, no 
queen can be introduced, as the bees look upon her as their queen, 
and will destroy any other queen that may be given them. She can 
not be hunted out and caught, for she can not be distinguished 
from the common worker, so the stock has to perish. 

The section bee-hive, renders it easy to remedy this evil. Pro- 
ceed as directed, under the head of '' How to Catch the Queen,'' 
page 51, until you have the false sovereign confined to one sec- 
tion. The other sections may be put together, adding an empty 
one, and after ten or twelve hours, a queen is introduced. Or, in- 
stead of the empty section, give them one having a queen-cell, or 
uncapped larvae, from which they can rear a queen. 

The section containing the worker queen, may be converted into 
an observing hive, when you will not be long in finding her, by 
observing closely through the glass. 



54 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPInG. 



To Empty the Bees from a Hive, without Taking the Queen. 

It is often desirable to take from a very populous hive, a part of 
its bees, for the purpose of colonizing, or to add to weak new 
swarms, when they can not be had by any of the means pointed 
out in this book. If the queen is to be hunted up, in a dense pop- 
ulation of bees, she is more diiBScult to find, and therefore, some 
plan by which a part, or most of the bees may be extracted, is very 
useful. 

Have a tin tube made, about a foot long, and the size and shape 
of the entrance-holes — a little smaller, is better, so that it will fit in 
easily. Have one end oj)en, the other closed, with two or three 
holes through it, large enough for a bee to pass through conve- 
niently. Over each of the holes, have little valves hung, largo 
enough to cover the holes, so light that they may be easily rais'jd 
by a bee. Insert the ojDen end into one entrance hole of the hive, 
from which you desire to take the bees. Stop up the other with 
a plug. Insert the other end into the same sized hole, in the 
swarming-box. Do this very early in the morning, or during the 
previous night, while all the bees are in. In the moi-ning they will 
attempt to go out, as usual, and of course get trapped. The many 
uses to which such an ai-rangement can be applied, will readily 
suggest themselves to the intelligent bee-keeper. 



^ 



PROFITS OP BEE-KEEPING 55 

CHAPTER XV. 

PROFITS OF BEE-KEEPING. 

"When honey-bees are properly managed, or even given the same 
attention that would be bestowed upon a cabbage-patch, or other 
cultivated crop, the profits derived from them will be large ; and 
we venture to say, there is no part of the United States, where 
bee-keeping will not pay, if properly magaged. 

In the northern States, it is not so profitable as in the south- 
ern. Perhaps the greatest profit will be found to be between the 
two. Although excessive heat is not favorable, yet, extreme and 
long-continued cold is far more injurious. "While from fifteen to 
twenty-five pounds of honey are required to winter a colony at the 
North, five to eight is sufficient at the South. While one or two 
good swarms, is as much as can be taken from a colony, and allow 
it to store away surplus honey at the North, from five to ten may 
be made from each one at the South. 

The most favorable condition for bee-culture, is found in that 
section of the Union lying between the two extremes. Yirginia, 
Kentucky, Tennessee, a part of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, 
embrace the territory on which the maximum yield and profits may 
be obtained. 

In the most unfavorable sections, bees properly managed will 
yield from one to two hundred per cent, on the capital invested ; in 
the most favorable, from five hundred to one thousand per cent 
may be obtained. 

A swarm of bees in a good hive, is worth $8.00 or $10.00 In the 
Northern States, it may be expected to yield, on an average, twen- 
ty-five pounds of honey, worth $6.25, and certainly one new 
swarm of bees, worth $5.00, which new swarm will yield fifteen 
pounds of honey, worth $3.75. One other swarm may with 
certainty, be madefrom these two worth $5.00 — making $20. Deduct 
ten per cent, for losses, in wintering and diseases incident to a cold 
climate, and you have about two hundred per cent, on the invest- 
ment. 

In the southern States, each swarm will yield, on an average, 
fifty pounds of honey, worth $12.50. Three new swarms, from 



56 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

the parent hive, and one from the first swarm made, and one 
from the other two, making five swarms, worth $25.00; and thirty- 
pounds of honey from the first new swarm, and fifteen pounds each 
from two of the other, making sixty pounds, worth $15 — making 
$52.50. Deduct five per cent, for losses, and you have nearly six 
hundred per cent, on the investment. 

In the most favorable sections named, each strong colony, in 
properly constructed hives, and properly managed, may be made 
to yield from §75.00 to SIOO.OO. 

These large profits are not to be expected by every one who en- 
gages in the business, for in this, as in most other occupations, it is 
only the- well informed, diligent and industrious, who attain extra- 
ordinary success. The average will perhaps be found at about one 
half these figures, or less, which should satisfy any one, for where 
is there a business that will yield such returns ! 

Many persons will pronounce these figures too high, but as they 
are based upon the supposition that the business is conducted under 
the most favorable conditions — only such as may be attained by the 
proper study and attention to the business — I do not think they 
are far wrong. In proof of them, I submit the following facts : 

William Buckisch, of Texas, says: "A vigorous colony, in an 
excellent hive, and enjoying favorable seasons, will yield as much 
as two hundred pounds (of honey) a year." " The intelligent, 
practical bee-keeper can take care of five hundred (colonies), and 
make part of the hives needed for new colonies." "From two 
hundred to five hundred colonies may be sustained on the square 
mile." "With sufficient assistance, the bee-master can keep one 
thousand hives, and even more. 

Mr. Spangenberg, of Texas, had fourteen natural swarms from 
two old hives; six of them escaped to the woods; but five, out of 
the eight saved, yielded "a considerable surplus of honey." 

The editor of the American Bee Gazette, October, 1866, says : 
"Last year there was stored by a certain stock of bees, that we 
can name, in less than eight weeks, one hundred pounds of sur- 
plus honey, besides forty or fifty pounds in the body of the hive. 

A correspondent of the Boston Congregationalist, quoting from 
^^ Bienenzeitung " ti German paper says: "Von BerlejDsch has had 
stocks which brought in eleven pounds of honey in a day ; Kaden, 
in Mentz, had days when one stock brought twenty-one pounds. 
Pastor Stein, in Mentz, had day^s when one stock brought twenty- 
eight pounds. 



PROFITS OP BEE-KEEPING. 57 

Eictard Calvin, of Baltimore, says, in Patent Office Beport for 
1863: " There are very few, if any localities in the United States, 
habitable by man, in which bees, properly managed, will not pay a 
bountiful compensation for their cultivation, while in the more 
favorable localities, four or five hundred j)er cent, per annum, is 
no unusual product. In California, and in some of the southern 
States ^ ^ * * >K >i< si« * * the product 
is often still greater. An average of fifty pounds surplus honey, 
per year, from each colony, under proper management, would, 
therefore, be a very low estimate." In a note he says: "In the 
middle and western States it is not uncommon, in some localities, 
for single colonies (in apiaries of one hundred or more) to produce 
one hundred pounds, and sometimes as high as two hundred pounds, 
of surplus honey, in a good season. 

Bidwell Brothers, of Minnesota, report to the American Agricul- 
turist the yield of their apiary for two years, 1864 and 1865. In 
1864, the}" had one Italian and fifty-eight stocks of black bees. 
The Italian stock was increased to fifteen, and the fifty-eight 
stocks of black bees to one hundred and eighty-one, principally by 
artificial swarming; and averaged forty -two and one-half pounds 
box-honey per stock; while for 1865, from two hundred and four 
old stocks they received, on an average, a trifle over seventy-five 
pounds surplus honey per stock. 

Mrs. E. S. Tupper, of Iowa, reports a stock of Italian bees that 
stored one hundred and fifty-six pounds surplus honey. 

A. W. Ford, of Middleville, ISTew York, from one hundred and 
thirty stocks, received six thousand pounds surplus honey in 
boxes, and one hundred and seventy new swarms. 

Charles Baumel, of De Witt, Iowa, commenced with one stock, 
which swarmed twice. The first swarm stored ninety pounds box- 
honey, while the second swarm filled its hive, and stored thirty 
pounds. 

Mr. Joel Curtis, of New Britain, Conn., says, in the American 
Bee Gazette: "My bees pay me for looking ^ffcer often, and for 
good hives that cost from five to eight dollars apiece. From 
twenty-five pounds spare honey, I have increased to fifty, then 
seventy-five and one hundred, and now can obtain two hundred 
pounds and more from single swarms of bees, in one season." 

Mr. E. T. Sturtevant, of Northern Ohio, with an apiary of over 
two hundred stocks, writes to the Bee Gazette: "My own bees, 
the last season, built combs, and stored honey in their surplus 



58 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

boxes only from twelve to fifteen days — the shortest harvest I ever 
have known. In this short time, many of my swarms collected, 
in addition to an ample supply, for their own consumption, from 
thirty to thirty -five pounds surplus. The same would have been 
true had the number of stocks been ten times as great. I am 
satisfied it makes but little difference how many strong swarms 
are collected together ; a few days will make them all rich." 

J. M. M., St. Charles, 111., writes to the American Bee Journal, 
December, 1866 : "I have taken from three swarms of bees, 
seventy -five pounds of honey each — worth $22.50 each. From a 
stock of Italians, three hundred pounds, or $90.00 worth, were taken ; 
and seventy-five pounds each were taken from two stocks that 
sicarmed out last spring for want of food. They were re-hived, and 
fed five pounds of honey each, leaving a balance of seventy pounds 
to each hive." 

J\Ir. J. L. Davis, of Delhi, Michigan, had an increase of ten 
natural swarms, from one stock of half-breed Italians, and thirty- 
seven and one-half pounds of surplus honey from the old stock, 
in 1866. 

Mrs. Tupper, of Iowa, says : "I am sure that one thousand stands, 
where I live, will do well every season when one will, so long as I 
keep them all strong and in good order." " In Eussia the honey- 
producing plants are far inferior to ours, yet it is not uncommon 
to find apiaries of from one hundred to five thousand colonies." 

In Carniola, one of the states of Austria, there is an average of 
nine hundred hives kept to each Austrian square mile. 

According to the Eeport of the Imperial Statistical Bureau of 
Austria, taking the whole country, which has an area of 11,240 
Austrian square miles, and a population of 34,500,000, the amount 
of honey-surplus listed for taxation is 547,700 quintals, and 54,770 
quintals of wax, valued at $4,381,000.00. This only includes what 
actually goes into market, and it is estimated that what is con- 
sumed by the bee-keepers themselves, and what fraudulently 
evades taxation, amounts to at least $10,169,000.00 more; so that 
Austria actually realizes from bee-culture $15,000,000.00, or at the 
rate of $1,334.00 to each square mile. — See Patent Office Report 
1860, pages 281 and 282. 



THE OBSERVING BEE-HIVE. 59 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE OBSERVING BEE-HIVE. 

What we see with our own eyes makes a deeper impression 
upon us, than if it were told us by another. Many a reader of 
this book will see statements in it, which he will not believe ; for 
there are many of the habits of the bee that are incredible to some 
persons. You have it in your power, by means of the section bee- 
hive, to attain personal knowledge of many of the strangest things 
told of the honey-bee ; for you can at any time, in a few minutes, 
arrange one of the sections so that every movement of every 
bee is open to inspection at all times. It will well repay the trou- 
ble, by the instruction and satisfaction it will afford. 

Take a single section, from the center of the brood-chamber, 
having in it a fall-sized sheet of comb, with brood in different 
stages of development ; some of which should be not yet capped 
over, and if there are some eggs just laid, all the better. One side 
of the section has its top and bottom-pieces projecting over about 
three-sixteenths of an inch. Have two strips of wood, one-half 
inch thick, and three-eighths of an inch wide, the length of the 
top and bottom-pieces, and after making holes with an awl, sprig 
them on the shoulders of the upright pieces, top and bottom, so 
that they will form like projections on the other side. Insert a 
pane of glass in each side, and you have the bees inclosed, and in 
it all that you want. Have ready a piece of plank, four inches 
wide, one inch thick, and twenty-two inches long. Bore a hole 
five-eighths of an inch in diameter, in the center of one end, eight 
inches deep. Bore another similar hole on the face of the plank, 
eight inches from the end, so as to meet the other hole and connect. 
Bore another hole, same size, in the bottom of the section, two 
inches from one end. 

N'ow set the section on the plank so that the hole in its bottom 
will correspond with the hole on the face of the plank, and you 
have an entrance and exit-hole for the bees. Fasten the section 
firmly in that position, by screwing a small hinge to the plank, at 
each end of the section, and also to the section. Or, a frame, of 



60 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

inch plank, may be made, into which the section will slip, the 
boai'd just described, with entrance-hole in it, forming the bottom. 
It may be neatly made and varnished. 

Stop the entrance-hole, by tacking over it a piece of wire-cloth 
or perforated tin, for two or three days, to prevent the escape of the 
bees, after which the hole may be opened, and they will not desert- 
It needs no cover, for the bees will work as well in broad daylight, 
as in a dark hive. 

Set it on a table, at a window, with the entrance-hole outside, so 
that the bees will not enter the room in passing out and in. Pro- 
tect it from the direct rays of the sun, by a curtain or shade. 

Being without a queen, the first thing you will observe, will be 
that the bees will set about making one or more, by forming queen- 
cells, and placing in them some of the worker-eggs, or by convert- 
ing some of the worker-cells, with larvae in them, into royal-cells, 
and you will see the whole operation of making a queen — see her 
emerge from the cells; her departure from the hive to meet the 
drones ; her return ; — see her lay eggs for increasing the colony, 
and notice their development into bees. 

You will see through the glass of your observing-hive, that there 
are three kinds of bees composing the population. The most nu- 
merous class consists of bees of a smaller size than the others, and 
are known by the name of workers. They are said, by those who 
have investigated the matter, to be females, with organs of genera- 
tion imperfectly developed. They are (except in rare instances), 
exempt from the care and labor of reproducing the race. They 
ai'e occupied constantly, however, and do all the work of the hive, 
as you may see by closely watching the hive. They are, contin- 
ually, during the day, passing out and in. Notice one, as she 
comes through the entrance-hole. Each thigh has on it a pellet of 
pollen, or bee-bread. This pollen is what the immature bees are 
fed on, and is stored away for that purpose. The old bees seldom 
or never eat it. You see her coming in with as much of it, as she 
can carry. See what she does with it ! She does not go up to 
where the honey is kept, but runs along over the comb, to the 
neighborhood of the breeding-cells, avoiding all the cells contain- 
ing brood or honey. She finds an appropriate cell, and thrusting 
her hind legs into it, rubs them together, and thus brushes it oif 
in the cell. She does not stop to ai-range it, but starts off, leaving 
to others the labor of packing it away. She still has a part of her 



THE OBSERVING BEE-HIVE. 61 

load to dispose of. She goes next to the honey -cells, and into one 
of them pours from her honey -bag its contents. 

Sometimes you will see a bee coming in with her legs well-filled 
with what you suppose to be pollen, but she passes by the cells 
where bee-bread is stored, and going over the face of the glass, 
makes her way to some hole or opening between the glass and 
wood, or in the joints of the hive, where she carefully takes it off, 
in small pieces, and plasters it over the opening, to exclude the 
air. This is what is called propolis, or bee-glue. It is collected 
from the exudations of resinous trees, such as the sweet gum, the 
j)ines, cedars, and firs, and from buds, which, when first opening, 
have a gummy substance over them, such as the poplar, the aspen, 
balm-of-Grilead, and most of the evergreens, and from many other 
sources. I have seen bees taking the grafting wax from the cloth 
with which grafts were wrapped, and, rolling it up into little balls, 
sticking it on their thighs. These three substances are all that 
bees are known to bring in, unless it be water. 

Some contend that wax is also collected from the flowers, like 
bee-bread. But while you are observing your bees through the 
glass, you will, perhaps, conclude that there are a number of glut- 
tonous, lazy bees, that are doing nothing, eating all the time, and 
laying idle on the face of the comb, clustering together, or slowly 
moving about in circles. They are making wax, and many of 
them at the same time are keeping warm and hatching the young 
brood. 

The wax, of which all the honey-comb is made, is a secretion 
like the leaf-fat in a hog. In order to produce it, they eat great 
quantities of honey, and take but little exercise. Instead of its 
being formed inside the bees, as in the hog, it accumulates in little 
pockets, or pouches, under the rings of which the hinder -part, or 
abdomen, of the bee, is formed. You may not be able to see the 
little scales protruding from under the rings, unless the bee should 
get on the glass, with her feet towards you, as they are on the un- 
der side. 

When the wax-scales are ripe, they are taken off by the bees, and 
being warmed by the heat of the hive and molded into the proper 
shape, they build of them the cells of the comb. The walls of the 
comb are just the thickness of the wax-scales, which are said to be 
so thin, that one hundred and eighty of them are required to make 
one inch in thickness. 



62 NEW SYSTEM OP BEE-KEEPING. 

Of this wax you will see them build three kinds of cells. The 
most numerous of which are about one-fifth of an inch in diameter; 
a few are one-quarter of an inch in diameter, but both built alike 
in shape. In the former the worker-bee is hatched and reared; in 
the latter the drone. 

The third kind of cell is different in every respect from these 
two. When ready for the egg, it is in the shape of an acorn-cup, 
with the open end down, and when completed and capped over, 
resembles a pea-nut or gouber-pea-pod. It is nearly always built 
on the edge of the comb. The bees do an immense amount of 
work on these cells. Enough wax is used on one of them to build 
more than fifty worker and drone-cells. 

In this cell the queen is reared. From the time it is commenced 
until it is completed, every bee in the hive seems to take an especial 
interest in it. One after another runs to it and examines it all 
over, inside and out, with the greatest curiosity. It seems to be 
their constant object of anxiety and devotion. 

The worker and drone-cells are also used for storing honey — the 
queen-cells never. After the queen emerges from it, it is generally 
destroyed. When they want to rear a new queen they make a 
new one for her. 

You will see also, that upon the worker-bee devolves all the labor 
necessary to hatch and rear the young brood. The queen takes 
no interest in her offspring nor do the drones. 

On the bottom of your observing-hive, and in and around the 
entrance-hole, you will see another class of workers, that seem to 
be only "busy-bodies," running up to every bee that seeks admit- 
tance to the hive, as if to inquire into their business. These are 
called guard-bees, and are placed as sentinels or pickets. They 
inspect every bee that comes. If it be a stranger they stop her, 
and if she refuses to turn back they drive her away by force. It 
is said that they let all pass that come, whether of their own hive 
or not, if they have their sacks filled with honey, or their legs full 
of pollen ; but if a stranger, they require her honey as a bribe. 
After the guards have received the honey, which they eat, they 
permit her to pass. 

The guard-bees not only keep off strange bees, but all insects, 
hostile or not ; such as ants, earwigs, moth-millers, wasps, bumble- 
bees, hornets, worms, and bugs of every kind. They watch every 



THE OBSERVING BEE-HIVE. t)3 

approaching danger, and if not strong enough to avert it, give the 
alarm to those within, who sally out and assist them. 

It is they who fly at you, when they think you have evil inten- 
tions, and ordinarily they are the only ones that are cross. The 
bees engaged in other duties pay no attention to you, when you 
are about the hive, but go on with the work assigned them. 

Some authors say, the guard-bees relieve each other from time 
to time — perhaps several times during the day — but a correspondent 
of the Bee Gazette, writing from Lexington, Ky., says : "In white- 
washing some old hives, some drops of the wash fell on a number 
of bees acting as guards, giving them a white coat. I observed 
them daily for about two weeks, traveling up and down before the 
hives, guarding the entrances; proving conclusively to my mind, 
that it was their sole occupation, at least for the time specified." 

On the bottom of your observing-hive, and in and near the 
entrance, in warm weather, you will see still another class of 
workers — a dozen or more — with heads lowered and bodies elevated, 
vibrating their wings rapidly, and making a continued buzzing 
sound. The more crowded and prosperous the hive, the more of 
this class you will see. They create, by the vibrating of their 
wings, a current of air, which passing into the hive, forces out the 
overheated and vitiated air, and supplies its place with that which 
is fresh and pure, while at the same time it regulates the temper- 
ature of the interior. Puiff a little smoke through a hole in the 
top or side of the hive, and see how quickly others will join them, 
all through the hive, on one side of the comb turning their wings 
toward the entrance, on the other side, in the opposite direction, 
thus seating a current of air which will expel the smok« in puffs 
from the entrance-hole. "Were it not for this arrangement, in hot 
weather, many colonies would be lost from suffocation, or the 
accumulated heat in the hive would melt down the whole comb 
structure, which would settle in a mass at the bottom of the hive. 

The next kind of bees you will notice, will be a few, l«,rger than 
the others. They look more like a horse-fly than a bee, and when 
they come out, make a loud, hoarse, buzzing sound, which would 
lead you to suppose them very dangerous fellows, but as they have 
no sting, their bluster will not terrify any one that knows them. 
These are the drones. They are a lazy set, that live on the best 
honey and do no work. They don't often even feed themselves, 
but require it of the wonkers, who feed th«m by means of their 
trunks. 



64 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

During most of the time you will see them clinging quietly to 
the comb, and receiving their food from the workers. On fair, 
sunny days, between ten and three o'clock, you will see them all 
leave the hive, and with a loud, sonorous buzz, fly up high in the 
air. These are the male bees, or husbands to the queen. They 
have no object in existence, except to fertilize the queen, and while 
they are the fathers of all the brood, they are without a care or 
wish for their welfare. 

They have but a short life, if it is one of ease and luxury. They 
are hatched in April, or May, and are subsisted by the bees until 
the swarming season is over, and there is no more use for them ; 
then the workers expel them from the hive, and either maim 
them by mutilating their wings, so they can not get back, or kill 
them. 

The third kind of bee you will see in the hive will be one, and 
one only, that is longer by one-half the body than the workers. 
She is of slender structure, her wings very short. You will easily 
recognize her by her dignified and matronly movements, and her 
nicely tapered abdomen, which is only two-thirds covered by her 
wings. Her abdomen is formed of six rings, while the workers 
and drones have only five. Her legs are longer than those of the 
workers, or drones. This is the mother-bee, or, as she is generally 
called, the ^^ queen ^ She is rarely seen in an ordinary hive, and 
perhaps not one bee-keeper in a dozen has ever seen her, though 
they may have hived hundreds of swarms ; but in the observing 
hive, she may be kept in view all the time. It is said she never 
leaves the hive but once — and that within the first twenty or thirty 
days after her birth, when she goes out to meet the drones, and 
become able to carry out the object of her existence — except when 
she goes out with a swarm to form a new colony. 

Her only employment is to lay eggs, in the cells which I have 
described. If you will notice her, as she runs over the comb, you 
will see the bees disjDerse before her. Passing to an empty cell, 
she first examines it, to see that it is empty and ready, when she 
deposits in it a small, white, oblong (igg, slightly curved, which is 
fastened to the wax by one end. Eapidly passing from cell to cell, 
she has been known to lay over three thousand in one day. 

The eggs do not grow any, or undergo any change, for about 
three days. At the end of that time they hatch out a living grub, 
or worm, which you may see doubled up in the bottom of the cell. 



THE OBSERVING BEE-HIVE. 65 

You will now see a class of workers, called ^^ nursing -bees," which, 
after hatching out the worms, do nothing but supply them with 
food. The bee-bread, that you have seen stored away so care- 
fully, is now brought out, and prepared, by mixing with it 
water, and perhaps honey. The worms grow very rapidly, and 
attain their full size in about four days. The grubs now spin a 
very fine, soft silk, with which they form a cover for them- 
selves within the cell. This covering is called a cocoon, and about 
thirty-six hours is consumed in spinning it. Up to this time they 
are called " larvce.'' They now maintain quiet for about three days, 
at the end of which time they are entirely changed in form and 
appearance — from a worm they have been transformed so that they 
have all the parts of a perfect bee, but they are perfectly white, 
and very tender. They are now called ^^pupce" or ^^nym.phs." At 
the end of three weeks from the laying of the egg, the worker- 
cells are all bitten open at the ends by the inmates, and they emerge 
perfect bees. After five or six days, which is required to harden 
and strengthen their limbs, and during which time they are en- 
gaged in nursing the young brood, and doing other in-door labor, 
they issue from the hive, and join the older members of the com- 
munity in the labors of the field. 

The queen requires five days less to mature. Three days she 
remains in the egg. She is fed three days more. She labors one 
day spinning her cocoon. She remains quiet for two days and 
sixteen hours, when she enters the pupa state, in which she re- 
mains just four days and eight hours, making in all exactly sixteen 
days. The drones go through the same transformations, but re- 
quire twenty-four days to mature and emerge from the cells. The 
periods here given are such as are required in warm weather. It 
requires longer in cold weather, unless the colony is very strong, 
and extreme hot weather may shorten the time. 

By having a hole in the top or side of your observing hive, you 
may introduce the moth-miller, and see how the bees treat an 
enemy, or you may introduce a strange queen, and see how she is 
received, and try other experiments. You can take out a pane of 
glass, and catch the queen for exhibition, or to give to some new or 
queenless colony. If their queen is taken from them, all will be 
confusion, until the bees are satisfied that she is irrecoverably lost, 
when they will set about producing a new sovereign, as described 
in the first part of this chapter. While they are queenless, if there 
5 



66 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

are any new cells to be built, you will see that they will build only 
drone-cells, their instinct teaching them that a new queen would 
be worthless without male bees to fertilize her, and that the queen, 
when hatched, can lay drone-eggs to fill the cells, and thus provide 
herself with the means of producing workers and other queens. 
Many other experiments will suggest themselves. 

The bees can not be wintered in the observing-hive ; therefore, 
when honey is becoming scarce, the section may be taken out, and 
given — queen and all — to some colony that is queenless, or may be 
added to some weak swarm to strengthen them, or it may be used 
as a nucleus, which, by adding more sections of brood, and honey 
from other hives, and more bees, may be built up to be a strong 
colony. If let alone till late in the season, the whole colony will 
die out. 



HOW TO TAME AND HANDLE BEES. %t 

CHAPTER XVII. 

HOW TO TAME AND HANDLE BEES. 

A GREAT damage to progress in bee-culture lias been inflicted by 
persons, at fairs and other gatherings, by their mountebank per- 
formances with bees. The impression is left with the spectator 
that the performer is possessed of certain " gifts," or powers of 
witchcraft, and that but few persons can have such perfectly fear- 
less control of the little insects. Such is not the case. I will not 
deny that there are some few persons against whom the bees have 
an intuitive enmity, as that seems to be conceded by intelligent 
writers on the subject ; but still I have my doubts. No person 
that I have yet seen, who has attempted to handle bees, as here 
laid down, and persisted in it with confidence of success, has failed. 
The whole art is based on the following facts : 

First. A honey-bee, filled with honey, or other sweets, will not 
sting, nor make the attempt. 

Second. A bee thoroughly frightened is subdued, and will not 
sting, whether fill with honey or not, but if honey, or other sweets, 
are convenient, will immediately fill itself. 

Third. It is only the guard-bees about a hive that make war a 
profession. The other bees only assist them in emergencies. 

Bees may be frightened thus : 

First. By confining them to the hive, and slightly tapping, or jar- 
ring the hive. They will first attempt to get out, but finding no 
egress, they will run to their stores and gorge themselves with 
honey. 

Second. By blowing smoke upon them. It matters not what 
substance is used to make the smoke, but the more pungent, the 
more decided the effect. Tobacco, cotton-rags, rotten wood and 
dried herbs, are generally used. Tobacco is considered the best as 
it has a more stupefying effect. 

Any one can " charm " bees by first blowing a little smoke on 
the guard-bees, at the entrance, to cause them to retreat, then blow 
a profusion of smoke in at the entrance-holes and close them. In 
five minutes the smoke will have penetrated all parts of the hive, 



68 NEW SYSTEM OE BEE-KEEPING. 

and nearly every bee will have filled itself with honey, when the 
brood -chamber, and the honey-boxes, may be taken out, and any 
of them opened with impunity, and by the aid of a little more 
smoke, from time to time, any necessary operation performed. 

Beginners, who lack confidence, may use a bee-hat, or full bees 
dress ; or they may paralyze the bees with either j)uff-ball smoke, or 
chloroform. The following, from Mr. Quinby, gives all the direc- 
tions necessary : " To operate with either, the hive should be 
closed on all sides. If puff-balls are used, dry it well, set on fire> 
and enclose it in a tube one and a half-inches in diameter — tin will 
make a good one — arrange so that the smoke may be blown into 
the hive, through a hole in the side near the bottom ; a ball near 
two inches in diameter will sufiice for one swarm. As soon as it 
is done burning, close the hole, and let the hive stand ten or fifteen 
minutes, when the bees will be apparently quite dead ; and when 
they are in that state, any operation may be performed. They 
revive in thirty or forty minutes after the air is admitted, and 
must be confined to the hive, for two or three hours, till they 
recover their senses. When puff-balls can not be had, chloroform 
may be substituted — the effect is about the same. Saturate a damp 
sponge, about the size of a hen's egg; cover this with a tin, well 
perforated, funnel-shaped, or a wire-cloth of such shape as to pre- 
vent the bees, as they drop, from covering it too closely. Should the 
hive be too full, to admit of this under it, take an empty one, and 
turn it bottom xip, which will give abundant room, and catch 
the bees as they drop off the stocks." 

In using chloroform in the section-hive, have your sponge cut a 
little less than a half-inch thick, and two by three inches in size 
otherwise, with a string tied to it. Push this in at one entrance- 
hole, well back, and insert a plug behind it, to close the hole, and 
by looking through the glass you can see when the bees are all 
down. Or it may be dropped through one of the passage-holes, 
suspended by the string. 

Puff-balls are the mushrooms that come up in old pasture land. 
After they dry up, they are filled with a light powder, which, 
when thej^ are broken or tramped on, escapes like smoke. 

Either of these can be used to advantage in transferring bees 
and comb to the section-hive, as they put the colony in a harmless 
stupor ; they can all be enclosed in a box until the comb is trans- 
ferred, when they may be divided, if necessary, and put in with 
their comb. 



CARE AND TREATMENT OF BEES. 69*. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

CARE AND TREATMENT OF BEES. 

The great secret of success in bee-keeping consists in " knowing 
what to do, and doing it at the right time." Bees, to be profitable, 
require to be cared for, and assisted. By this I do not mean an 
officious intermeddling with them, in season and out of season. 
Such a course is highly injurious. They should be disturbed as lit- 
tle, and as seldom, as possible. Lifting the hives to ascertain their 
weight; opening the hives to inspect them, through mere curiosity; 
turning up the hives, or shifting them about, should all be inter- 
dicted in the apiary. Be certain of what needs to be done, and do 
it with as little delay as possible. 

Every interference creates an excitement and frightens the bees, 
and they become disorganized for the time ; they fill themselves 
from the honey already stored away, even biting open the covered 
cells to do it. And thus not only lose time, but destroy their for- 
mer labor. It is asserted by some good authorities, that in the 
disorganization and confusion of these disturbances, the workers 
frequently kill their queen. 

Avoid opening out the brood-chamber on cold mornings, or in 
chilly weather, lest the brood be injured. And avoid it also in the 
heat of the day, when honey is not abundant in the blossoms, lest 
robbers be induced to commit depredations. 

Avoid standing in front of the entrances, in the middle of the 
day, when queens are being reared, lest you should cause one of 
them to fail to recognize her own hive, and enter another and be 
killed. 

Some authors recommend passing, and repassing, frequently in 
front of, and about the hive, and to handle them often, to accustom 
them to your presence, and make them tame. I am satisfied that they 
are wrong, for I have always noticed that bees in a hive, in some 
seldom visited corner, were less easily irritated, than those in 
more frequented localities ; and those colonies, that are the most 
seldom visited by their owners, generally accumulate the largest 
stores of honey. A honey-bee is not susceptible of learning any- 



70 NEW SYSTEM OF BEE-KEEPING. 

thing ; when it emerges from the cell it knows all that it will ever 
know ; and it is not in the power of man to educate them to know 
more, or to tame them, or to change their natural habits, or 
instincts, in the least. A wild bee, from a tree in the forest, is just 
as tame as one reared in an observing-hive in your parlor, and the 
latter will sting you just as soon as the former, if you do anything 
to irritate it, and would sting you just as soon as it would a 
stranger. 

No art of man can cause honey-bees to change their natural hab- 
its, in the least. They are the same everywhere, and in all ages. 
They have but two objects in life — self preservation and the propa- 
gation of their species — these prompt them to store honey and 
propolis ; these prompt them to guard those stores, when laid up. 
The more imminent the danger, the more vigilant they are to 
guard against it. The oftener they are disturbed, the more fierce 
they are. 

I know of one colony, set near a path, and by a gate, through 
which there was a continual passing, that was kept in such contin- 
ual excitement, that it was dangerous for man or beast to go near 
them. They would attack horses in a lot forty or fifty yards off. 
Instead of only having a dozen or twenty guard-bees, they put out 
hundreds, and stationed them all over the hive. The consequence 
was, they seldom stored any surplus honey, and rarely swarmed. 

Disturbances are less injurious during the working season, than 
in the winter ; for then every interruption arouses them from 
their semi-torpor, and causes them to consume more of their 
stores. They should be kept as quiet as possible during winter. 

Avoid all rapid walking or running, about the hive, and all vio- 
lent or quick movements of the arms or hands, or loud talking, or 
noises ; for all of these create excitement among the bees. When 
about the hives, let all of your movements be quiet and gentle ; 
do n't show fear ; handle them, when necessaiy, quietly and care- 
fully, and they will seldom, if ever, sting you. 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 71 



CHAPTER XIX. 

ENEMIES OF BEES. 



Bees have a number of enemies. First among them, and the 
most injurious, is the bee-moth. It is found everywhere. Wher- 
ever the bee goes, it follows. There have been many attempts to 
get up moth-proof hives, all of which are failures — most of them 
worse than failures, as they turn out to be only moth-nurseries. 
The idea of constructing a hive from which the moth would be 
excluded, is preposterous, as wherever a bee can go, a moth-miller 
will follow, and every trap added to a hive makes only an addi- 
tional hiding-place for the moth. 

I consider the section bee-hive as near moth-proof as can be 
made. The bottom-board of the case being covered with salt ex- 
cludes them from there, and that is their favorite resort. They 
will not go in at the entrance-holes so readily as into other hives, 
as they are deep and crooked. The miller must see his way clear, 
before he will venture to enter a hive. A dozen would dodge in 
at a hole through an inch-wall of a hive, where one will find ad- 
mission through a hole three or four inches deep, with a short turn 
in it, as is the case with the section-hive. All frame, or other 
hives, with movable bottom-boards, or set on standing boards, fur- 
nish the miller with all the advantages they need, for depositing 
their eggs in the filth which accumulates in the cracks between 
the hive and bottom-board. There is no chance for them to get to 
any place suitable for depositing their eggs, in this hive, except 
they first pass through the entrance-holes, which they seldom do. 

The golden rule, in bee-keeping, is embraced in four words, 
" Keep your colonies strong." Live up to this, and you need not fear 
the bee-moth. A strong colony will take care of themselves, and 
ask no assistance in defending themselves against their worst en- 
emy. Feeble swarms, and reduced colonies, are at the mercy of 
the moth. The section-hive off'ers every facility for keeping them 
strong, and a very little care will insure you against loss from this 
source. [See ^^ Directions for Strengthening Weak Colonies," in an- 
other part of this book. 



■-^2 NEW SYSTEM OF EEB-KlEEPING. 

If the moth should get into the hive, it is easily discovered, and 
if the bees are not strong enough, you should open the sections 
and cut thena out, and then strengthen them. 

Ants are sometimes found in and about bee-hives, and are said 
to consume the honey, but I have never been able to discover any 
damage done by them. The salt, however, excludes them from the 
section-hive. 

Of birds, the bee-martin, or king-bird, is the only one that 
catches the bees. I have had it suggested to me that they only 
catch drones. If so, it should be known, as very trifling harm 
would result, but, perhaps, a positive benefit. They should be 
shot until such is proved to be the case. "Woodpeckers sometimes 
annoy the bees in winter, by hammering on the hives, and disturb- 
ing their rest, and it is said will sometimes pick up such bees as 
appear at the entrance-holes. Such as are seen about the apiary 
in winter, should be shot. 

Mice sometimes get into hives, in winter, and commit injury. 
The entrance-holes should be partially closed in winter, so as to 
exclude them. 

Toads and snakes catch many bees that fall to the ground, and 
even snatch them from the entrance-hole, when too near the ground. 

Hornets are said to destroy many bees, but I have never seen 
them attempt it. I think they live on smaller insects. 

Spiders destroy many bees by catching them in their webs. 

Sometimes the bees themselves do great damage in an apiary, 
by robbing each other. In the North, this frequently occurs, in 
the spring and fall, when honey is scarce ; and at the South, in their 
hot, dry summers, when they have scanty food. I have never 
known it to take place in this latitude (Kentucky). The following 
are said to be the causes generally inducing them to become rob- 
bers : 

1. Leaving honey scattered about near the hives, or placing 
comb, dishes, and other vessels, having honey sticking to them, 
near them, to be licked up by them. 

2. Letting hives become too weak to defend themselves, or per- 
mitting them to remain queenless. 

3. Too many and too large holes in the hives. 

Various remedies have been proposed, and most of them proved 
successful : 
1. Make a great smoke for hours in front of the hive attacked. 



Adair's section bee-hive. TB 

2. Eub tui'ijentine about the entrance of the robbed hive, or sat- 
urate cotton with turpentine, and stick it about the fly-hole. 

3. Place an onion, in pieces, or garlic, in the hive of the robbers, 
to give them a strong scent, so that the guard-bees will detect them, 
when they try to enter the attacked hive. 

4. Contract the entrance, so that two bees can not pass at once. 

5. Eemove the hive of the robbers, a mile or two off — the fur- 
ther the better. 

6. Throw any litter, such as small chips, shavings, or pieces of 
rags, into the hive of the robbers. They will set to work to clear 
them out, and forget to rob other hives. 

To find the home of the robbers, throw some flour on them as 
they are leaving with their booty, and notice what hive they enter. 

It is far easier to prevent the evil than to remedy it. Keep your 
colonies strong^ and there is little danger. 



ADAIR'S SECTION BEE-HIVE. 

TEI^:M:s. 

As THE OLD PLAN of Selling rights for using bee-liives is very inconve- 
nient, and operates very unequally on the small and large bee-keeper, we 
have adojDted another and fairer plan. As soon as it can be done, I will 
have the hives placed on sale at convenenient points to supply all. The 
hives sold will each bear my metal "trade mark," secured to me by law, 
and any persons, making or using any hive embracing any part of my 
invention, and not having this trade mark on it, will be subject to damages 
and fine under the patent law. 

Until arrangements can be made to supply hives to all, I will sell these 
trade marks to those wishing to make their own hives or have them made, 
at 50cts. each, for any number less tban 10; $5 per dozen; $10 for 25, $18 
for 50 ; and $35 for 100. They will be sent by mail post-paid. To Ministers 
of the Gospel, I will sell for their own use 20 for $5 ; any additional number 
at 35 cents each. Honey-boxes in same proportion. Hives bearing these 
trade marks can be used by any one into whose hands they may fall. 

Samf)le hives, with trade marks attached, furnished on board steamboats 
at |4 each, 



74 adair's section honey-boxes. 



ADAIR'S SECTION HONEY BOXES. 

These boxes have been considered by all who have seen them, and the 
honey made in them, a great improvement on all others ; and the honey sells 
for enough more than any other honey to pay ten times the amount 
necessary to be paid for the right to use them. Whatever may be the fancy 
o^ the bee-keeper as to the construction of the main hive, or brood- 
chambers, all vfant the honey-boxes. They can be used on any hive and 
made of any required size. On some of the patent hives it may be 
necessary to put on new honey-boards with passage-holes to suit those of 
the honey-boxes, but on most of them it is only necessary to stop the old 
holes and make new ones in the right place. One great fault in all the 
improved hives is that their capacity for surplus honey receptacles is too 
limited. This can be remedied by making the caps or coverings for the 
honey-boxes deeper. They are generally 6 or 7 inches deep, allowing but 
one tier of boxes to be placed on at a time. They should be at least 13 
inches deep. This can be done by making an additional cap 6 or 7 
inches deep, the size of the old one, without top or bottom and placing it on 
the hive under the other one. 

Set on the hive what boxes it will hold, and when the bees get fairly to 
work in them, lift them up and put another set under them, and the bees 
will immediately go to work, and fill all nearly as soon as they would have 
have filled the single set. 

Those who have hives and are satisfied with them and only want the 
honey-boxes, will be furnished with "Trade Mark" for honey-boxes alone, 
by mail, at 40 cts. for each hive on which they are used ; $4 per dozen hives; 
$8 for 30; $12 for 50; $22 for 100. When this mark is attached to the 
hive, any number of boxes may be used on it, from year to year, and new 
ones substituted when they are taken off 

A sample box, with trade mark for two hives will be sent by Express for $1. 

A sample box, with material, cut ready for nailing together, for 500 
sections, which will set up 62 boxes of eight sections each, with strips and 
backs (no glass), which can be nailed together by almost any one, and will 
hold about 750tb of honey, will be shipped securely packed, for $6^ or less 
than one cent per pound. Material for 1000 sections, etc., sent for $11. 
This does not include the trade marks. 

A new pattern of queen-cages, sent by mail at 20 cts. each, or 6 for $1. 
Every bee-keeper needs at least 6. 

Agents with a capital of $20 to $50 wanted in every county in the United 
States. Exclusive territory given. 

Orders for hives except samples, should be addressed to Messrs. Moors 
& McAdams, Hawesville, Ky. 

For trade marks, sample hives, honey-boxes, and agencies, address: 

I). L. ^DAIR, 



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